TURIN, Italy (AP) - Penalty specialists Sevilla beat Benfica 4-2 in a shootout to win the Europa League after a 0-0 draw in the final on Wednesday, claiming another international title for Spanish football.
Sevilla goalkeeper Beto saved two spot kicks from Benfica forwards Oscar Cardozo and Rodrigo who failed to deceive with stutter-step approaches to the ball.
Substitute Kevin Gameiro stepped up to score the decisive kick as the drama played out at the end housing Sevilla fans who have seen this story before.
Sevilla had ousted city rival Real Betis on penalties in the last-16 round, and also won this competition in 2007 in a shootout.
The Portuguese champion had dominated regulation time yet failed to score, and extended its streak of losing European finals to eight matches over 52 years.
“The best team did not win,” Benfica coach Jorge Jesus said. “Benfica players should be congratulated,” Jesus said. “There is nothing I can criticize.”
Sevilla had seemed destined to win a competition it entered only after UEFA denied two Spanish clubs places because of financial problems. It had also been seconds from elimination in the semifinals against another Spanish team, Valencia.
“We know how to suffer and we know how to fight. I think the result was fair,” said Sevilla coach Unai Emery. “It’s a very special evening.”
Sevilla, which won the competition for the third time in nine seasons, ensured Spain will sweep the season-ending European club competitions, with Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid meeting in the Champions League final on May 24.
Next month Spain will defend its World Cup crown in Brazil and seek to clinch a record fourth straight major international trophy after winning the European Championship in 2008 and 2012.
Benfica, however, has not won a continental trophy since its greatest player, Eusebio, inspired two straight European Cup titles in 1961 and ’62.
Four months after Eusebio died aged 71, the Lisbon club missed another chance to end the unwanted record.
Benfica returned to the scene of its semifinals triumph against Juventus
and the match kicked off with patches of empty sets in the Italian champion’s stadium.
Three early opportunities for Sevilla broke down for Carlos Bacca’s lack of finishing. The Colombia forward failed to shoot when collecting a pass across the goalmouth, drifted offside in a fast break started by captain Ivan Rakitic, and then could not connect with Rakitic’s angled low cross.
A testy spell midway through the half lacked creativity, and even Rakitic’s shot from the center circle drifted well wide of goal.
Benfica ended the half strongly, aided by loose play in the heart of Sevilla’s defense.
Sevilla relied on Beto for a double save, swatting away Maxi Pereira’s looping shot from close range and then parrying Rodrigo’s low drive.
Benfica claimed a penalty when Nicolas Gaitan fell under pressure from defender Federico Fazio who poked the ball barely wide of his own goal.
Poor positional play by Sevilla defenders in the 48th was redeemed by three crucial blocks in the goalmouth as Lima, twice, and Rodrigo fired shots from 10 meters (yards).
German referee Felix Brych rejected repeated Benfica penalty claims, with one clean tackle on Lima bringing a shower of flag sticks thrown by Portuguese fans behind Sevilla’s goal.
At the other end, former Arsenal forward Jose Antonio Reyes twice tested Jan Oblak around the hour mark with rising shots straight at the Benfica ’keeper.
Sevilla needed another saving tackle in the 72th, when Coke denied Lima as the Brazilian shaped to connect with Maxi Pereira’s lateral pass.
Benfica again finished the half on top, and Beto leaped to tip over Lima’s shot in the 84th.
When Beto then lost a deep cross, defender Ezequiel Garay headed over an empty Sevilla goal as the scoring chances continued to go begging.
Bacca could have won it for Sevilla when breaking clear in the 101st minute but his rising shot flashed just wide.
But Bacca, like his teammates, made no such mistake in the shootout - as Sevilla repeated its success on spotkicks in the 2007 UEFA Cup final against Espanyol.
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