SEVILLA and Roma meet in the Europa League Final on Wednesday in Budapest where the most successful club in this competition meets the most successful manager.
Both of these sides have underachieved to different degrees this season, yet both have raised their game when it came to Europe.
Sevilla are aiming for a record seventh triumph in this cup, yet there were real fears they would be dragged into a relegation dogfight earlier this season.
They lost 2-1 to Real Madrid at the weekend and are currently tenth in La Liga, but the appointment of Jose Luis Mendilibar in February has transformed them.
They eliminated both Manchester United and Juventus on their way to the Final and of course, they have never lost a Europa League Final stretching all the way back to 2006 when they thumped Middlesbrough.
But of course, they are not just playing Roma – whose weekend defeat to Fiorentina ended their Serie A top four hopes – they are playing the force of nature that is Mourinho.
He is aiming for a record third victory in this competition with three different clubs after winning with Porto and Manchester United. He's also won the Champions League with Porto and Inter Milan and the Europa Conference League last season with Roma.
So something has to give here and in injury news, Paulo Dybala being a major doubt for Roma isn't good news and he may only be used from the bench.
How the bookies view it
Sevilla are marginal favourites here and can be backed at 7/4 with UniBet.
Roma are slight outsiders at 19/10 with Coral. The draw is 21/10 with William Hill.
Recent head to heads
The clubs have met just once previously. Sevilla won a single-leg UEFA Europa League round of 16 tie 2-0 against Roma in the German city of Duisburg en route to their 2019/20 trophy success.
Players to watch
With 22 goals for club and country this season, Moroccan striker Youssef En-Nesyri is the Sevilla dangerman. He is 15/8 with Betfred to score anytime.
With Paulo Dybala a doubt as stated, Stephan El Shaarawy could be Roma's main man. He's scored in his last three games although he was subbed at half time at the weekend after complaining about a leg muscle injury. That was likely to be a preventative measure and he will be of interest at 23/5 to score anytime with UniBet.
Anything else catch the eye?
This could be a classic Mourinho final. He is up against a swashbuckling Sevilla side that usually sees goals at both ends, but you never underestimate the Portuguese legend's ability to find a way to succeed…even though it may not be pretty.
His Roma side have managed to keep clean sheets against Bayer Leverkusen, Feyenoord, Real Sociedad and Salzburg – all teams who have been known for freely scoring goals this season.
And this could be very tight margins again. It could very well be another 1-0 final, like Roma managed last year against Feyenoord in the Europa Conference League Final at an attractive 13/2 with Boylesports.
Both under 2.5 goals and both teams to score; No are far too short to be backed here with both of them odds-on. Roma may be worth an investment to score the first goal here at 13/10 with bet365 and then park the bus.
In the same way, it wouldn't be a huge surprise if the first half is a goalless stalemate at 5/4 with William Hill.
This UEFA Europa League match between Sevilla and Roma will be played on May 31, 2023 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Sevilla vs Roma prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
