Europa League final preview: Sevilla vs Roma verdict, predicted score, key stats and suggested bets

Europa League final, Wednesday, May 31, Kick-off 8pm, live on BT Sport 1

Sevilla 1-1 Roma

Roma to score first

Under 2.5 goals

Sevilla are the most decorated club in Europa League history - this will be their seventh appearance in the final and the Spanish club have won the previous six.

This is Roma's first appearance in the final of this competition since the UEFA Cup days in 1991 but they did win the Europa Conference League last season after beating Feyenoord 1-0 in the final.

Interestingly, both teams have failed to win any of their knockout ties away from home soil in this competition this season.

Marcao (muscle) and Tanguy Nianzou (muscle) are unavailable for Sevilla due to injury, while Marcos Acuna will miss the match because he is suspended.

Acuna has been a key player for the Rojiblancos this season, making 44 appearances in all competitions.

Rick Karsdorp (knee) and Marash Kumbulla (cruciate ligament) are unavailable for the Italian side.

Rui Patricio and Nemanja Matic have missed the last two games for Roma due to 'injury', but it is possible they were just rested.

Sevilla are the clear favourites to beat Roma and lift a record seventh Europa League title on Wednesday, but they'll meet stiff resistance in the form of Jose Mourinho's Roma.

The Spaniards came within 15 minutes of an exit but booked their place in the final with an Erik Lamela goal in extra time. Both legs finished 1-1 in 90 minutes.

Edoardo Bove's goal in the 63rd minute of the first leg was enough for Roma to progress. I Giallorossi put on a Mourinho masterclass and shut up shop for the second leg in Germany.

Leverkusen fired off 20 shots at the Roma goal, barely mustering an expected goals tally of 1 and creating no real chances of note.

Lorenzo Pellegrini has been a key figure for Roma, contributing four goals and four assists. Between the sticks, Rui Patricio has kept six clean sheets in 13 matches.

Neither side is in the best of form domestically but their focus has been on the Europa League final. Both sides have rested key players and suffered as a result.

Despite the expectation a final would be tight and cagey, the Europa League tends to produce goals. Both teams have scored in the last four finals which have averaged 3.5 goals each game.

Sevilla have scored three goals in their last three finals, beating Inter Milan 3-2, Liverpool 3-1 and Dnipro 3-2.

Facts aside, history has taught us what to expect from Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese mastermind has won the competition twice before - with two different clubs - and has won the Champions League twice and Europa Conference League with Roma.

Mourinho's teams have shut out the opposition in four of those five finals, including a 2-0 win over Bayern and last season's 1-0 win over an extremely attack-minded Feyenoord team.

If anyone can crack the Sevilla code, then it might just be Jose. That said, Sevilla have such a terrific record in the competition it will be hard to keep them down. We can see the Italians scoring first and then parking the bus, but it may not be enough.