The Europa League rundown: Quarter final Match Day Reports
Wolves vs Sevilla
A match-up, with both teams
having completely different approaches on how to win the tie, came to an end
with Sevilla snatching the semi-final spot from Wolves in the dying minutes of
the game. Wolves started off the better team setting the tempo high with attacker,
Adama Traoré, pulling the strings of Sevilla’s back line giving them an early opportunity
to get the lead in the fixture. A blistering run; Adama Traoré carries the ball 60m beating the
Sevilla players for pace and strength when he finds himself in Sevilla’s
penalty box, where he decides to pull the trigger, only to be taken down by
defender, Diego Carlos, who concedes a yellow card and a penalty in the 11th
minute. 2 minutes pass and Raúl Jiménez finally gets his chance to execute his
penalty which is expertly saved by the keeper, Yassine Bounou, as he dives to
the right hand side, stopping the ball, pushing it forward, which Carlos
quickly boots away removing any pressure from Wolves approaching players. The
Sevilla players step up their intensity, and start to control the play by
creating chances of their own and depriving Wolves of the ball. Sevilla’s best
chances of the half came from long range efforts on goal, as
any crosses put into the box were smartly defended by the Wolves centre backs.
The remainder of the second half displayed Sevilla holding onto possession
creating chances whilst Wolves used Traoré’s pace to counter quickly and try
and get shots at goal.
The second half continued like the remainder of the first, but Sevilla seemed to be steeping up the pressure throwing more and more men forward looking for the goal to win the match. With Wolves playing a deep back line soaking up the pressure, Sevilla could press high and win the ball in the Wolves half, meaning wolves weren’t having possession for prolonged periods of time, slowly tiring the players out due to chasing the ball down. It took until the 87th minute for Sevilla to break the dead lock when a whipped cross from the right hand side found its way to Lucas Ocampos’s head which he flicked into the far corner of the goal in the match Sevilla now lead 1-0. The game ends 1-0, Sevilla will play Manchester united for a chance to play in the final of the Europa league.
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Basel
Shakhtar seemed to the favourites coming into their quarterfinal match-up vs Basel; this seemed to be true as they cut open and thrashed Basel to move through to the semi-finals. It took 2 minutes for Shakhtar to open the scoring with Júnior Moraes poking the ball into the back of the net from a corner kick which came his way. The keeper came out to claim the ball but Moraes beat him to it, poking the ball underneath him. Shakhtar start to dominate in every aspect of the game which leads to their second goal when the headed pass is played in behind for Júnior Moraes to chase, which he does, who then he plays it across goal for Marlos, who lays it back to Taison who shoots and scores after a deflection of the Basel Centre back. 2-0 in the 20th minute. Shakhtar continue to create chances nearly finding their third, where as Basel seem lost and can’t deal with Shaktar's press or desire to win the ball back.
Shakhtar get their third in the 73rd minute after receiving a penalty after Basel defender, Yannick Marchand, feet get caught in Taison's bringing him down. Alan Patrick fires home the penalty. And then they get their fourth, in the 87th minute, after a quick counter attack finds the back of the net when it is played to full back, Dodô, who fires it across goal and beyond the Basel keeper. A mere conciliation for Basel as they score in the 91st minute, but an overly underwhelming, poor performance from Basel to be thrashed in the quarterfinals. Shakhtar win 4-1 taking them to the semi-finals where they will play Inter for a final place.
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