Europa League thoroughbreds Sevilla recovered to reach another final as substitute Erik Lamela’s fabulous header five minutes into extra time earned a gritty 2-1 win in a pulsating affair against Juventus on Thursday, securing a 3-2 aggregate victory.
The Spaniards will bid for a record-extending seventh Europa League title when they face AS Roma in the final in Budapest on May 31, after Jose Mourinho’s side drew 0-0 at Bayer Leverkusen to secure a 1-0 aggregate victory in their semi-final.
Juventus, who were held to a 1-1 draw by Sevilla in the first leg in Turin, looked on course to reach the final when substitute Dusan Vlahovic scored with a tidy finish in the 65th minute at the Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium.
But Suso levelled six minutes later with a stunning long-range strike to take the game into extra time.
Lamela then wrapped up the win when he leapt in a crowded area and sent a towering header into the net to delight the fans.
Languishing in the bottom half of La Liga for a large part of a season in which two managers were fired, Sevilla rediscovered their mojo after exiting the Champions League and beat PSV Eindhoven, Fenerbahce and Manchester United before downing Juve.
AS Roma earned a 0-0 draw at Bayer Leverkusen. The Rome side have now reached back-to-back European finals under Mourinho following last season’s Europa Conference League title.