DUISBURG, Germany (AP) – A missed opportunity enough to end Wolverhampton’s European dreams.
Raúl Jiménez stepped forward to kick an early penalty against Sevilla in Tuesday’s quarter-finals, as he did to beat Olympiakos in the final round. This time, however, his shot too central and stored through Yassine Bounou.
Seville dominated the rest of the game after that, as the wolves got tired in their 59th game of a long season. One purpose seemed inevitable and Lucas Ocampos finished head-to-head to win the match in the 88th minute.
The defeat ended the Wolves’ European streak since they reached the UEFA Cup final in 1972 and their chances of qualifying for the Champions League. Seville, for its part, remained on track to achieve a sixth record name of the competition. Manchester United is next in Sunday’s semi-final.
Seville had 73% ownership and probably endless shots stopped at the time of the Wolves’ penalty dominance, so much so that the turf around the six-metre penalty domain was completely agitated as players fought for the position, and yet it broke when Ocampos met the center of Eder Banega. with a look in the 88th minute.
Lobos striker Adama Traoré showed a normal speed in his 54th game of the season with the club to crush Sevilla’s defender, only for Diego Carlos, who shot him with a penalty kick. Jimenez scored his first kick against Olympiakos last week, but his shot this time was part of Bounou’s success.
Traoré’s speed has been deadly in many Wolves games this season, but nothing happened after the first hour and the tired right forward was replaced.
The Wolves had the longest Europa League crusade of all the remaining teams in the competition, as more than a year ago in the first qualifying circular with a victory over Northern Ireland’s Crusaders club on 25 July 2019.
Sevilla’s semi-final rival Manchester United beat Copenhagen 1-0 on Monday after extra time. Next Monday’s semi-final will face Inter Milan against Shakhtar Donetsk, who beat Basel 4-1 in Tuesday’s quarter-finals.
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