Sevilla 2-0 Roma: Spanish side ease into last eight

First-half goals from Sergio Reguilón and Youssef En-Nesyri took three-time UEFA Europa League winners Sevilla into the quarter-finals at the expense of Roma.

Match in brief

Julen Lopetegui congratulates his players at full-timeAFP

The Spanish side had not reached the quarter-finals since last lifting the trophy in 2016 but were quickly into their stride at the MSV Arena and had already threatened several times before taking the lead in the 22nd minute. Éver Banega's fine cross-field pass picked out Reguilón's darting run and the left-back skipped past two challenges before firing under Pau López at the goalkeeper's near post.

Roma regrouped but, just as they were finding a foothold in the game, they fell further behind a minute before the break. Lucas Ocampos rode Roger Ibañez's lunging tackle down the right and, though Pau López half-blocked his cross, the ball still reached En-­Nesyri, who gleefully slammed in.

That gave Sevilla an advantage they never looked likely to relinquish, and they might have added late gloss to the win had Banega's curling free-kick not come back off the crossbar, while Roma's misery was compounded in the final seconds when Gianluca Mancini was sent off following an aerial challenge on Luuk De Jong.

Home view: Joe Walker, Sevilla reporter

Sergio Reguilón after opening the scoringPOOL/AFP via Getty Images

An almost perfect European display from Sevilla in what is, you have to say, their competition. From the off, they wouldn’t let the Italian side settle, pressing high and not giving them a moment’s peace. Julen Lopetegui got his tactics spot-on, and once they went ahead you never doubted they would see out the victory. Sevilla won this competition twice as the UEFA Cup and three more times as the UEFA Europa League. Number six on the horizon?

Visitors' view: Ben Gladwell, Roma reporter

With just one shot on target this evening, it is hardly surprising that Roma's Europa League campaign ends here. Under pressure from the get-go, Paulo Fonseca's men simply could not match their Andalusian opponents in all key areas: hunger, desire and, crucially at this stage of the competition, freshness. The Giallorossi were second to the ball too often, and that can only end one way – elimination.

Reaction

Youssef En-Nesyri scores Sevilla's second goalPOOL/AFP via Getty Images

Sergio Reguilón, Sevilla defender: "It was a complete game from us in all ways, both in an attacking and defending sense. Now we've got to recover well because we've got another final in four days. Everybody can be proud of this team, which gives everything out there on the field. With a great group of lads and great people like we've got here, you can got a long way and I hope to win the Europa League with Sevilla. Each one of us is a spoke in this wheel."

Edin Džeko, Roma captain: "[What went wrong?] Everything. Everything because we were never in the game, from the start to the finish. They just gobbled us up in every aspect. We were never in the game. It's clear we're lacking something, and we all need to ask some questions of ourselves. I'm disappointed because this wasn't a good game. We were never in it, and this is what disappoints me the most."

Key stats

• Reguilón's goal was his first in UEFA club competition in his sixth appearance. The left-back has now scored three goals in 2019/20 and, having also found the net against Valencia on the final day of the Liga season, has scored in successive matches for the first time.

En-Nesyri is congratulated after making it 2-0Getty Images

• En­-Nesyri has scored in two of his three UEFA Europa League appearances.
• Sevilla have reached the quarter-finals for the fourth time – one short of Benfica's UEFA Europa League record.
• Every time the Spanish side have reached the last eight – in 2014, 2015 and 2016 – they have gone on to lift the trophy.
• This is Roma's third successive campaign to end in the round of 16, after 2014/15 and 2016/17. The Giallorossi have never featured in the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals.

Line-ups

Sevilla: Bounou; Jesús Navas, Koundé, Diego Carlos, Reguilón; Banega, Fernando, Jordán; Ocampos (Vázquez 90+6), En-Nesyri (De Jong 90+3), Suso (Munir 67)

Roma: Pau López; Mancini, Ibañez, Kolarov (Villar 78); Bruno Peres, Diawara (Pérez 57), Cristante, Spinazzola; Zaniolo (Pellegrini 57), Mkhitaryan; Džeko

What's next?

Sevilla face Wolves or Olympiacos in Duisburg at 21:00 CET on Tuesday for a place in the semi-finals.