Cologne (Germany) (AFP)

Manchester United and Sevilla will face each other on Sunday in Cologne (9 p.m.) for a very uncertain semi-final between two clubs broken up in the last rounds of European competitions.

Between the Red Devils, who have won their last four European Cup semi-finals (C1 in 2008, 2009, 2011 and C3 in 2017) and the Andalusian ogre who won the competition the last three times he reached the last square (2014, 2015, 2016), there can only be one left.

Two clubs belonging to the championships which have monopolized the last eight editions of the C3 - 5 for the Spaniards, 3 for the English - but with radically opposed models.

Where Manchester spends almost without counting and not always judiciously, the Spaniards are the archetypal club of the talent scout at the right price and resold with a good margin.

The purchases of Paul Pogba, Anthony Martial, Bruno Fernandes, Harry Maguire together already represent more than two years of the Andalusian club's budget, while the Spaniards should make such appreciable capital gains this summer with Brazilian central defender Diego Carlos or the Spanish left-back Sergio Reguilon that with Dani Alves, Ivan Rakitic or Clément Lenglet in recent years.

But on the pitch, the game promises to be as indecisive as it is unbalanced in finances.

In resplendent form, Sevilla FC have just broken their 85-year-old unbeaten record. His qualification in the quarter against Wolverhampton (1-0) was the 19th game without defeat (10 wins and 9 draws) in all competitions.

A series built thanks to an intractable defense since in its last 8 matches, Sevilla has conceded only one goal, against Bilbao in San Mames (2-1).

- Iron defense against fire attack -

A weighty asset against Manchester who had had all the trouble in the world to pierce the Danish wall of FC Copenhagen in the previous round, relying on a penalty from Bruno Fernandes during extra time (1-0).

The reds and whites may also have a slight psychological rise.

The last confrontation between the two teams dates back to March 2018 and a Spanish victory at Old Trafford (2-1) in the round of 16 second leg of the Champions League, after a 0-0 at Sanchez Pizjuan, even if there is already no more that three Sevillian players present that day in the current starting XI.

Manchester, on the other hand, will rely on the talent and creativity of an efficient attacking sector.

His attack line made up of Marcus Rashford, Martial and Mason Greenwood and supported by Pogba and Fernandes will be a real test for the Spanish rearguard.

Already assured of playing the Champions League next year thanks to the championship, the two clubs dream of decorating their trophy window with a new C3.

"It's important to win because all players have to understand what it's like to win a trophy with Manchester United," said Bruno Fernandes.

"If we end up with a trophy, it won't be perfect, but it will have been a good year," he continued.

The previous victories "brought us a lot of joy", confirmed Sevillian captain Jesus Navas, who returned to the fold after a spell in Manchester City from 2013 to 2017.

"With the difficult times we are going through, winning the Europa League for our supporters and for all of us would be really great."

© 2020 AFP