UEFA Europa LeagueSee standings
3-0 Vidal (17th min, 51st min) Gameiro (75th min)
Sevilla cruised past Fiorentina in a 3-0 demolishing of the Italian side, with Aleix Vidal bagging a brace and Kevin Gameiro finishing off the job 15 minutes from time as they put one foot in the UEFA Europa League final.
Joaquin was the architect of the first chance of the game when the Spanish winger played in Mario Gomez in the 5th minute, but the striker’s early shot on the edge of the penalty box flew high over the bar and Gomez was unable to give Fiorentina an early lead. However it was the Europa League holders who took the lead in the 17th minute through Aleix Vidal. Sevilla went on the counter-attack through Vitolo, who picked out Carlos Bacca inside the penalty box, and the Colombian striker laid the ball off to the Vidal who was positioned on the edge of the penalty box, and the midfielder beautifully placed the ball into the bottom corner to give Sevilla the lead.
Matias Fernandez almost responded perfectly for the visitors as Joaquin did brilliantly down the left wing to cut the ball back into the path of the Chilean playmaker, but Fernandez’s close range effort flew wide of the post from five yards out. Sergio Rico was called into action after Nenad Tomovic played in a deadly looking cross into the path of Mohammad Salah, but his close range chance was well saved by Sevilla’s reserve shot stopper.
Fiorentina and Sevilla both threw away golden chances throughout the majority of the opening half, Vidal and Grzegorz Krychowiak linked up well to set up Bacca inside the penalty box, but the star striker stumbled and Vitolo’s rebound effort was miskicked out of play for a goal kick. There was a slight scare for the hosts when Rico went down injured after colliding in the air with Gonzalo Rodriguez, however after some time on the ground with the medical team, the keeper got up and resumed play.
Tomovic was brought off for on loan Manchester City full back Micah Richards for the start of the second half, however the first chance of the half came again to the hosts as Sevilla doubled their lead in the 51st minute through Vidal once again. The winger was picked out by Vitolo, and the right back for the night was left with acres of space on the right wing, and Vidal coolly finished the ball from inside the penalty box past Neto for the second time of the night to give Sevilla a comfortable lead.
After a very quite half since Vidal’s earlier goal in the half, Fiorentina’s luck got even worse when Sevilla scored their third goal of the night in the 75th minute through substitute Kevin Gameiro, who had only been on the pitch for 26 seconds. Tremoulinas dashed down the left win to set up Aleix Vidal, who fired from distance, and the French striker guided Vidal’s wayward strike from six-yards out to give Sevilla a massive advantage in the opening leg of the Europa League semi-final.
