Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-1 Sevilla
In the end, it was just one game of a mammoth season too many.
Wolves’ 59th match of a campaign that started on July 25 last year has finally come to an end 383 days on at the hands of a slick Spanish outfit in the Europa League.
Sevilla, coached by Julen Lopetegui, were always going to be a tough test in a competition they have won five times since 2007.
What’s more, they have gone unbeaten in 18 games in all competitions (won nine, drawn nine) – their longest ever unbeaten run as a top-flight club – since losing a La Liga match against Celta Vigo in February.
And so it proved, as a contest of few Europa League 2020 highlights was settled two minutes from time when Sevilla took a quick corner, Ever Banega delivered an inviting ball and the increasingly dangerous Lucas Ocampos guided the ball into the far corner.
While a deserved result, it was hard not to feel some sympathy for Wolves, who are inexperienced at this level but have explored such giddy heights so quickly.
Remember, this was a side which had just finished 15th in the Championship when Nuno Espirito Santos arrived as manager three years ago.
With such momentum, they will surely be back before too long.
Highlights of the game
Despite the high volume of games, Santos’ side had shown few signs of tiredness and, since the restart, had managed to secure seventh spot in the Premier League (narrowly missing out on European qualification).
He had told Wolves fans in February that “dreaming is for free,” and after guiding them to their first European quarter-final for 48 years, those dreams were becoming more vivid.
And although the SBOBET Europa League 2020 betting odds were against them, they wanted to finish their European campaign – the club’s first for nearly half a century – in style.
In the end, it was a case of “what if” as an opportunity to take an early lead was spurned and they never quite recovered.
A first-ever meeting between the two clubs witnessed a fine start for Wolves as Raul Jimenez headed straight at Yassine Bounou within the opening minute before Adama Traore went on a surging run and was brought down in the box by Diego Carlos.
That the ever-reliable Jimenzez saw his spot-kick saved by the goalkeeper was all that denied them a superb start.
From that moment, Wolves seemed to lose some of their swagger and Sevilla controlled spells of play without seriously threatening Rui Patricio.
Into the second half, the Spanish club upped their game and, while Wolves continued to defend doggedly, began to create openings.
Youssef En-Nesyri weaved his way through a gap on the edge of the box but was closed down quickly and could only toe-poke a soft effort straight at Patricio.
Then, Jules Kounde was left free from close range but could not direct a presentable headed opportunity, while Patricio was called into action to push over a smart Banega free-kick.
Then came the Ocampos intervention and Sevilla, who can more than match their top domestic rivals, were in the last four of a competition they have a particular fondness for – their last success arriving memorably four years ago to secure a third successive triumph.
Key statistics
This was Ocampos’ 17th goal of the season in all competitions, his outright best scoring season in Europe.
Bounou is the first Sevilla goalkeeper to save a penalty in the tournament since at least 2006/2007 season.
This was the first time Jiménez has missed a penalty for Wolves, having scored each of his previous eight spot-kicks.
Sevilla have only lost one of their nine knockout-stage matches of major European competition against English opposition (won six, drawn two, lost one, including finals), losing 2-0 to Leicester City in the Champions League last 16 in 2017.
What’s next?
Manchester United await in Sunday night’s semi-final at the RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne with the final at the same venue five days later.
Sevilla knocked United out of the Champions League two seasons ago.
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