Gameiro smooths Sevilla's passage to Basel
Thursday, May 5, 2016
Article summary
Sevilla 3-1 Shakhtar Donetsk (agg: 5-3)
Two Kevin Gameiro strikes and a Mariano Ferreira beauty steered Unai Emery's side into a third successive UEFA Europa League final.
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- Kevin Gameiro exploits defensive lapse to fire Sevilla into early lead
- Eduardo levels as Shakhtar come to life before the interval
- Gameiro responds with his seventh in this season's competition
- Right-back Mariano Ferreira kills off tie with superb bending finish
- Sevilla will face Liverpool in the final in Basel on 18 May
A third successive UEFA Europa League triumph is within sight for Sevilla after two Kevin Gameiro goals helped them finish off Shakhtar Donetsk.
The Frenchman struck at the start of each half to set Unai Emery's side up for a meeting with Liverpool, their Ukrainian guests buckling after Eduardo's 44th-minute finish had put doubt into their hosts' minds.
Sevilla's progress might have been more serene. They were in front inside ten minutes, Gameiro catching Maksym Malyshev in possession and haring through to send a low shot across Andriy Pyatov and into the net. Shakhtar initially offered little in response, but exploded into life with half-time approaching, Marlos playing a stylish ball inside the last man for Eduardo to nudge past the exposed David Soria.
A rapid Marlos dart upfield had Sevilla scrambling again before the break, and Mircea Lucescu's side looked lively afterwards too, Viktor Kovalenko's rising shot demanding intervention from Soria. However, the wind was swiftly taken from their sails; Grzegorz Krychowiak picked out the ever-ready Gameiro as he raced into the box, and the Frenchman took the ball past Pyatov with one touch before finding the goal from a rapidly narrowing angle.
Gameiro almost completed his hat-trick with an acrobatic kick, but it was Mariano Ferreira who killed the tie off, the right-back bending a powerful shot past Pyatov from outside the box. It was the Brazilian's first goal for the club; he may not score a better one. There might have been a closer finish had Eduardo's header crept inside the post on 72 minutes, but the Pitmen could dig no deeper.
Analysis from Nick Aitken at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán
Sevilla quick-thinking proves vital
Faster out the blocks in the first period, and rewarded by Gameiro's ninth-minute opener, Sevilla repeated the trick after the interval – the sprightly Gameiro again catching Shakhtar snoozing to make it 2-1 and pave Los Sevillistas' path to a record third consecutive final.
Shakhtar undone by soft centre
Boasting flair and pace aplenty down the flanks, Mircea Lucescu's charges were caught out time and again through the centre. First holding midfielder Maksym Malyshev gifted Gameiro his opener, while centre-back duo Olexandr Kucher and Yaroslav Rakitskiy simply could not cope with the pace of the Frenchman or the deeper-lying Vitolo.
Sánchez Pizjuán a fortress once more
Breached by Athletic Club in the quarter-final second leg, to end a run of three consecutive home wins in Europe, Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán was a genuine fortress once more. A wall of noise enveloped Shakhtar from start to finish and inspired Sevilla to feats that are in stark contrast to their recent Liga outings – they have won only one of their last seven domestic league games.