The brilliant triumph for FC Bayern in the Champions League final was four weeks ago. Now comes the first chance of silverware in the new season. The treble winners play Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup on Thursday (21.00 CEST at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest). The Spaniards won the Europa League in August. fcbayern.com profiles the German record champions' next opponents.
Previous games between Bayern and Sevilla
The UEFA Super Cup game is the third competitive match between FC Bayern and Sevilla following the quarter-final tie in the Champions League in 2017/18. The Reds secured a 2-1 win in the first leg of the last eight of Europe’s premier club competition two years ago. After going behind, FCB turned the game round with an own goal from Jesús Navas and a strike by Thiago. A 0-0 draw in the second leg at the Allianz Arena was enough to send the Bavarians through to the semi-finals. On 28 September 1992, FC Bayern were away to Sevilla in a friendly with no less a character than Diego Armando Maradona being presented as a new signing at the Andalusian club. FCB lost 3-1. There was also a friendly against Sevilla in May 1959 with Bayern winning 5-1.
The sporting situation at Sevilla
Sevilla finished last season in fourth place in La Liga level on points with third-placed Atlético Madrid. The Andalusians were knocked out of the Spanish cup at the Round of 16 stage by second division CD Mirandés. Sevilla were more successful on the European stage. In the Europa League finals tournament, the Spaniards knocked out AS Roma, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester United. The final ended with a 3-2 victory over Inter Milan and the Spaniards lifting the trophy in Europe’s second most important club competition for the sixth time - making the Andalusians the record winners. As a resultof playing in the Europa League finals tournament, Sevilla have had an extended break and have yet to play a competitive match in the new season. Last Tuesday they beat league rivals UD Levante 3-2 in a friendly.
The coach Julen Lopetegui
Julen Lopetegui has coached Sevilla since the start of the 2019/20 season. The former goalkeeper had previously been in charge of the Spanish national team, as well as Real Madrid and FC Porto. Last term, the 53-year-old Spaniard finished fourth and won the Europa League. That meant a return to the Champions League, which the Andalusians had failed to reach for two years in succession.
De Jong, Rakitić, Ocampos – the key players
FC Bayern will have to watch out for the Sevilla attack. Leading the line is Lucas Ocampos (17 goals last season), who poses a constant threat on the wing, Luuk de Jong (bagged a brace in the Europa League Cup final) plus the wingers Munir El Haddadi and Suso again and again being dangerous up front. With captain and 2010 World Cup winner Jesús Navas, Sevilla have a lot of experience. The two central defenders Joules Koundé and Diego Carlos were part of the third best defence in La Liga last season. In addition, Sevilla have attracted attention with two interesting new signings. Ivan Rakitić returned a few weeks ago. The Croatian World Cup runner-up arrived from Barcelona, where he played from 2011 to 2014. Moreover, the attacking talent Óscar Rodríguez was signed from Real Madrid to strengthen the squad of coach Lopetegui.
The club history of Sevilla
Sevilla Fútbol Club was founded on 25 January 1890 in the Andalusian capital by a group of young British and Spanish football supporters. Less than two months later, on 8 March, the first game was played between two teams founded on Spanish soil. Sevilla played the oldest club in Spain, Huelva Recreation Club (Recreativo de Huelva), who'd been in existence a month longer than them, and won the match 2-0.
Escuela sevillista de fútbol
The new sport quickly attracted a lot of new supporters on the Iberian peninsular in the first years. A large number of new clubs were established and the first regional and national competitions were held. Sevilla dominated the Andalusian league and increasingly impressed in the race to win the Spanish league title, not least thanks to a style of play based on short passes and dribbling at pace. The so-called ‘escuela sevillista de fútbol’, the Seville school of football.
Sevilla win the UEFA Super Cup in 2006
The first trophies came from the 1930s onwards, with triumphs in the Spanish cup (1935, 1939, 1948) and the eagerly awaited – and to date only – domestic league title in 1946. The real golden era of the club, in terms of winning trophies, only came after the turn of the millennium. FC Sevilla succeeded in winning the UEFA Cup twice in succession in 2006 and 2007. Between 2014 and 2016 the Andalusians trumped that feat by winning the Europa League three years on the bounce. Sevilla won the second most important European competition for the sixth time a few weeks ago. And the European Super Cup was added in 2006. But Sevilla have also continued winning trophies in Spain, lifting the Spanish cup in 2007 and 2010 plus the Super Cup in 2007.
After the first treble in 2013, FC Bayern won the UEFA Super Cup for the first time in August 2013. Here we look back at the final triumph against Chelsea:
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