Cologne (Germany) (AFP)

Sevilla FC qualified for their fourth Europa League final in seven years by overthrowing Manchester United (2-1) in Cologne on Sunday, behind closed doors, but the Red Devils can bite their fingers as they have had a grip on this match.

On Friday, the Andalusians, vying to win their sixth C3 over the last fifteen editions, will face Inter Milan or Shakhtar Donetsk, who face each other on Monday evening.

Against Copenhagen, in the previous round, Manchester had long stumbled on the defense and Danish goalkeeper Kalle Johnsson in a state of grace before finding the loophole during extra time, on penalty. This scenario was reproduced a bit with Yassine Bono.

The Moroccan goalkeeper almost justified on his own why his team had not conceded a goal for five matches before this meeting and why it remained on a record series of 19 matches in defeat since February, now brought to 20.

He repelled a floating free kick from Marcus Rashford (39th), a tight shot from Bruno Fernandes, before coming out well in the feet of Mason Greenwood (46th) and twice in those of Anthony Martial (53rd) , which he had already repelled an attempt at a closed angle three minutes earlier.

The main difference is that this time Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men managed to take the lead quickly.

After a brilliant pass in the middle of the box from Martial in the race for Rashford, Bono had repelled the shot from the English striker, but the German referee Felix Brych had sanctioned the dangerous intervention of Diego Carlos, already at the origin of 'a penalty against Wolverhampton in the quarterfinals.

- Two culpable releases -

Bruno Fernandes, with his funny run-up that ends with a kind of kid's jump before hitting the ball, had propelled the latter under the opposing crossbar (0-1, 7th), for his 12th goal of the season and especially the 22nd penalty in 61 games this season for Manchester.

Unfortunately for him, United have been punished twice on releases.

After a first alert from Lucas Ocampos in a closed angle, pushed back by a new holder David De Gea (16th), Suso found himself at the far post at the conclusion of a beautiful collective action concluded by a fleeing center by Sergio Reguilon to equalize (1-1, 26th).

The touch at the origin of the action had been wrongly granted to Sevilla, defender Jules Koundé touching the ball with his head, causing protests from Mancunians.

Sevilla carried the blow to twelve minutes from the end by the Dutchman Luuk De Jong, who took advantage of a lack of aggressiveness of the Mancunian rearguard, visibly blunt, to score quietly at the far post.

A bitter epilogue for Manchester United who had had a mediocre first leg before making a superb end to the season after the arrival of Bruno Fernandes, finishing 3rd in the Premier League.

Manchester could also find next season in C1 Sevilla, the two clubs having already qualified for the group stage.

© 2020 AFP