The EL Semi-Finals

[Mishale]

Europa League semi-final

Sunday 16 August, 10PM
Sevilla vs Manchester United, Cologne

Monday 17 August, 10PM
Inter vs Shakhtar, Dusseldorf

in the Europa; England (Man Untd), Spain (Sevilla), Italy (Inter) and Ukrain (Shakhtar) are represented.

will Lukaku and Sanchez meet the old club Man Untd?
will Sevilla beat Untd as they did in the last 16, 2017-2018 season an continue there dominace in the Europa League?
will Shakhtar suprise Inter Millan?

 

[Mishale]

today's game

Man United vs Sevilla (10PM)

Match stats

• Manchester United have progressed to the final from each of their past four European semi-final appearances (2008, 2009 and 2011 Champions League and 2017 Europa League), winning the trophy on two of those four occasions.
• United and Sevilla's only two meetings were in the last 16 of the 2017-18 Champions League, with Sevilla winning 2-1 at Old Trafford in the second leg, after a goalless draw in the first leg.
• The Red Devils have been awarded 21 penalties in all competitions this season (four in the Europa League, including Bruno Fernandes' extra-time winner against FC Copenhagen in the quarter-final) - more than any other side across Europe's top five leagues.
• Sevilla have reached the Europa League semi-final on three previous occasions and gone on to win the tournament each time (2014, 2015, 2016). They have only been eliminated in one of their past 20 knockout ties in the competition, losing 6-5 on aggregate to Slavia Prague in the last 16 in 2018-19.
• Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has won 49 of his 89 matches in charge of Manchester United. Victory in this game would see him become the third fastest manager to reach 50 wins in the club's history, after Ernest Mangnall (78) and Jose Mourinho (81).
• Bruno Fernandes has been directly involved in more Europa League goals this season than any other player (11 for Manchester United and Sporting Lisbon combined). He has either scored (seven) or assisted (four) in seven of his nine appearances in the competition this campaign.

Ole Gunnar Solskjær has won 49 of his 89 matches in charge of Manchester United. Victory in this game would see him become the third fastest manager to reach 50 wins in all competitions in the club’s history after Ernest Mangnall (78) and José Mourinho (81).

United have progressed to the final from each of their last four semi-final appearances in major European competition, winning the trophy on two of those four occasions, while Sevilla have reached the Europa League semi-final on three previous occasions and gone on to win the tournament each time.


go United.
two Penalties for Untd to win 2-1

 

[Mishale]

Manchester United vs Sevilla score predicted on FIFA 20

To set up this simulation, we used kick-off mode within FIFA 20 but didn't select a team to control; we then selected the teams and watched the match play out by itself, to give us a prediction.


The AI difficulty was set to legendary, with the line-up updated with the latest transfers, injuries and suspensions.


We predict that United could set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with their line-up as follows: Romero; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Williams; Matic, Pogba; Greenwood, Fernandes, Rashford; Martial.


We predict that Sevilla could set up in a 4-3-3 formation, with the line-up as follows: Bounou; Navas, Diego Carlos, Kounde, Reguilon; Fernando, Jordan, Banega; Ocampos, El-Nesyri, Suso.

United started brightly against the La Liga side and duly went ahead with 13 minutes on the clock, as Marcus Rashford made it 1-0.


After Martial saw a shot from an acute angle saved, Martial turned home the rebound.

But after the goal Sevilla were the dominant side, seeing more of the ball and creating chances, although they didn't actually manage to trouble Sergio Romero too much in the first half.


The former winners of the Europa League were the better side in the second-half too, but United were looking very solid in defence and were looking to close out their one goal lead as the game headed into the final stages.


That was until the 75th minute when former Liverpool winger Suso struck a brilliant curling effort from the edge of the box, which flew past Romero and into the far corner.

With the game on a knife-edge, it was a tight and nervous last 15 minutes of normal time for both sides. But there was an incredible twist to come, as with 93 minutes on the clock, United won the game out of nowhere.


Pogba curled a speculative cross into the Sevilla area, with Bruno Fernandes making a great run across the defender, the Portugal international met the cross with a sweet header which found the bottom corner.

Predicted FIFA 20 score: Manchester United 2-1 Sevilla


Here are the full-time match stats:

The stats show that Sevilla had more possession, more chances and looked the better team overall on the night, but United found a way.

We simulated Manchester United vs Sevilla to get a score prediction

Manchester United take on Europa League specialists Sevilla in the semi-final of the competition on Sunday evening, but what will the score be? We used FIFA 20 to get a score prediction.

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk

 

[Mishale]

we live to fight again

Match stats

• Sevilla have reached their sixth Uefa Cup/Europa League final, at least two more than any other side.
• Manchester United have now been eliminated from European competition by Spanish opposition for the third consecutive campaign.
• Sevilla are now unbeaten in 20 games, just the fourth different side within Europe's top five leagues this season to enjoy such a run (also Bayern Munich, Paris St-Germain and Real Madrid).
• Including both their quarter-final victory over FC Copenhagen and their match with Sevilla, Manchester United had 46 shots, with 21 hitting the target - however, the Red Devils have managed just two goals from the penalty spot in those matches with a conversion rate of 4.4%.
• Manchester United have been awarded 22 penalties in all competitions this season, the most by a side in a single campaign within Europe's top five leagues since Barcelona in 2015-16 (24).
• Since his Manchester United debut on 1 February, only Robert Lewandowski (28) and Lionel Messi (27) have had a direct hand in more goals in all competitions than Bruno Fernandes (20 - 12 goals, eight assists) within Europe's top five leagues.
• Bruno Fernandes has scored 100% of the 14 penalties he has taken in all competitions this season, netting six for Sporting Lisbon.

 

[Mishale]

Todays Game

Inter vs Shakhtar Donetsk (10PM)

Match stats

• Inter Milan will appear in the semi-final of a European competition for the first time since winning the the 2009-10 Champions League.
• The only previous meeting between Inter and Shakhtar Donetsk was in the 2005-06 Champions League qualifying phase, with Inter winning 3-1 on aggregate across two legs.
• Since dropping out of the Champions League, Inter have won all four of their Europa League games this season - they last won five consecutive matches in major European competition (excluding qualifiers) between December 2009 and April 2010.
• Shakhtar Donetsk are looking to reach only their second ever European final, last achieving that feat in the 2008-09 Uefa Cup before going on to beat Werder Bremen in the final.
• Inter's Romelu Lukaku is the first player in Uefa Cup/Europa League history to score in nine consecutive matches - a run stretching back to November 2014 with Everton.
• Junior Moraes has been directly involved in seven goals in seven Europa League appearances for Shakhtar Donetsk (five goals, two assists), with all coming in the knockout phase.

 

[Mishale]

Todays Game

Inter vs Shakhtar Donetsk (10PM)

Match stats

• Inter Milan will appear in the semi-final of a European competition for the first time since winning the the 2009-10 Champions League.
• The only previous meeting between Inter and Shakhtar Donetsk was in the 2005-06 Champions League qualifying phase, with Inter winning 3-1 on aggregate across two legs.
• Since dropping out of the Champions League, Inter have won all four of their Europa League games this season - they last won five consecutive matches in major European competition (excluding qualifiers) between December 2009 and April 2010.
• Shakhtar Donetsk are looking to reach only their second ever European final, last achieving that feat in the 2008-09 Uefa Cup before going on to beat Werder Bremen in the final.
• Inter's Romelu Lukaku is the first player in Uefa Cup/Europa League history to score in nine consecutive matches - a run stretching back to November 2014 with Everton.
• Junior Moraes has been directly involved in seven goals in seven Europa League appearances for Shakhtar Donetsk (five goals, two assists), with all coming in the knockout phase.

Inter 5-0 Shakhtar Donetsk

Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez both scored twice as Inter Milan hammered Shakhtar Donetsk in Dusseldorf to set up a Europa League final showdown with Sevilla.

stats

• Inter Milan's 5-0 win was the biggest margin of victory ever in a single UEFA Cup/ Europa League semi-final game.
• This was Shakhtar Donetsk's biggest defeat in Europe since a 0-6 defeat to Manchester City in the Champions League in November 2018.
• Inter Milan have won five consecutive matches in major European competition (excluding qualifiers) for the first time since April 2010 (a run of six starting in December 2009 on their way to the UEFA Champions League final).
• Lautaro Martínez and Romelu Lukaku are the first duo to score 20+ goals each in a single season for Inter Milan since Adriano and Obafemi Martins in the 2004-05 campaign.
• Danilo D'Ambrosio has scored three goals in his last five games for Inter Milan in all competitions, as many as he had netted in his previous 58 appearances.
• Romelu Lukaku became the first Serie A player this season to hit 50 appearances in all competitions while the Belgian is also the first Inter player to reach the milestone in a single campaign since Samuel Eto'o (53) and Javier Zanetti (52) in 2010-11.

 

[Mishale]

Sevilla 3-2 Inter Milan: Europa League kings come back to win for sixth time

Sevilla have won all six Uefa Cup or Europa League finals they have played in

Europa League kings Sevilla won the tournament for a record sixth time thanks to victory over Inter Milan in a thrilling final in Cologne.

The drama started when Sevilla defender Diego Carlos fouled Romelu Lukaku for an Inter penalty - and ended when Lukaku deflected Carlos' bicycle kick into his own net.
It means Inter Milan's wait for a trophy will tick over into a 10th year at least.

Lukaku gave the Italian side an early lead from the penalty spot for his 34th goal of the season, extending his record of scoring in consecutive Europa League games to 11.
Luuk de Jong scored two headers - from Jesus Navas and Ever Banega crosses - to put Sevilla into the lead.
Inter were level when Diego Godin nodded in to make it 2-2 in the 35th minute.

Sevilla's excellent record of never losing a Uefa Cup or Europa League final continues - six finals, six victories.
But this was a new Sevilla team - with barely anybody left since their three wins in a row from 2014 to 2016.
Lopetegui took over last summer and built a new-look team. Nine of the starting XI in Cologne were in their first season at the club.


Match stats - Godin joins select group

• Inter lost in a major European final for the first time since the 1997 Uefa Cup, when they lost on penalties to Schalke.
• Since 2009-10, the Europa League has been won by a Spanish manager in six of the 11 finals (Unai Emery x3, Quique Sanchez Flores, Rafael Benitez, Julen Lopetegui).
• Sevilla have either progressed to the next round or won the competition in 21 of their last 22 Europa League knockout ties.
• Inter defender Diego Godin became the sixth player to score in a European Cup/Champions League and Uefa Cup/Europa League final, after Steven Gerrard, Hernan Crespo, Dmitri Alenichev, Allan Simonsen and Pedro.
• Romelu Lukaku's goal in the fifth minute for Inter was the earliest in a Uefa Cup/Europa League final since 2001, when Liverpool's Markus Babbel scored in the third minute against Alaves.
• Sevilla's Diego Carlos conceded three penalties in the 2019-20 Europa League, the first player to concede that many in a single campaign since Casar Azpilicueta in 2012-13 for Chelsea.

good for you Sevilla.