Boro vs. Sevilla [R] UEFA Cup Final 5/10/06

[AreliusIV]

Boro v Sevilla head-to-head

Middlesbrough meet Sevilla in the Uefa Cup final on Wednesday, with both clubs bidding for their first European honours.
As the Eindhoven showpiece approaches, BBC Sport looks at how the two sides compare.

LEAGUE FORM


Middlesbrough ended a largely disappointing Premiership campaign in 14th. They managed wins over Chelsea and Manchester United but also suffered a 7-0 hammering by Arsenal as well as humiliating defeats to local rivals Sunderland and struggling Aston Villa.

Sevilla head to Eindhoven with Uefa Cup football already assured for next season. They lie fifth in La Liga and could yet pip Osasuna to fourth and Champions League qualification - although their remaining two games are against Real Madrid and Barcelona.
ROUTES TO THE FINAL


After coming through their group quite comfortably, Middlesbrough reached the final the hard way. They crept past Stuttgart and Roma on away goals and then twice left themselves needing four goals to win and twice had Massimo Maccarone to thank for last-gasp efforts as they stunned Basle and Steaua Bucharest.

Only a draw with Bolton spoiled Sevilla's unblemished record on their way to the knock-out stages, where they thrashed Lokomotiv Moscow in the opening round. There followed victories over Lille and Zenit St Petersburg before a stunning extra-time goal from Antonio Puerta settled a nervy semi-final against Schalke.
MANAGERS


Steve McClaren has enjoyed a zero-to-hero season. February's 4-0 defeat to Aston Villa left Boro hovering above the relegation zone but a remarkable win over Chelsea helped ease those fears and the scintillating Uefa Cup run led to the Boro boss winning the England manager's position.

Veteran coach Juande Ramos took over last summer after Joaquin Caparros left for Deportivo La Coruna. He had to cope with the departures of star striker Juan Baptista and highly-rated defender Sergio Ramos but against the odds, Seville are set to at least match last season's sixth place.
CAPTAINS


The rock of Middlesbrough's defence, 35-year-old Gareth Southgate was the first Boro captain to lift a major trophy with the 2004 League Cup success and has been tipped to join the coaching staff when his playing career finishes.

Defender Javi Navarro could not be more different to his mild-mannered Middlesbrough counterpart. The 32-year-old Sevilla icon was once banned for five matches for elbowing an opponent, leaving him unconscious and suffering from spasms.
KEY MEN


England winger Stewart Downing 's return to the side after a five-month spell on the sidelines coincided with Boro's run of form in both the Uefa and FA Cups. His crosses could be crucial to Boro's hopes in Wednesday's final.

Argentine playmaker Javier Saviola pulls the strings for Sevilla. The one-time teenage prodigy is now a Barcelona outcast but is relishing his loan spell at the Andalusian club and, like Downing, is a World Cup hopeful.
TOP SCORERS


Yakubu tops Middlesbrough's scoring chart with 13 in the Premiership and 19 overall. The 22-year-old Nigerian was in sparkling form earlier in the season but has been below par of late, and faces a battle to start the Uefa Cup final.

One of the signings of the season, Enzo Maresca , a former Italy under-20 team-mate of Boro's Massimo Maccarone, has flourished at Sevilla after arriving from Juventus. The midfielder's eight La Liga goals make him the club's top scorer.
HONOURS

Middlesbrough have captured only major honour in their history - the 2004 Carling Cup.

Seville have not won a league title since 1946, and it is 44 years since they last reached a major final.

[AreliusIV]

Middlesbrough have a full squad to pick from ahead of the Uefa Cup final, with Mark Schwarzer (fractured cheekbone) set to play in a protective mask.
Skipper Gareth Southgate and striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink have shaken off hamstring injuries and will feature.

Only Gaizka Mendieta and Emanuel Pogatetz are missing from the squad.

Sevilla welcome back defender Javi Navarro after he missed the semi-final second leg through suspension but Fredi Kanoute is a doubt with a foot problem.


Middlesbrough (from): Schwarzer, Jones, Knight, Parnaby, McMahon, Davies, Queudrue, Taylor, Southgate, Riggott, Ehiogu, Bates, Wheater, Boateng, Doriva, Downing, Rochemback, Morrison, Johnson, Kennedy, Hasselbaink, Viduka, Yakubu, Maccarone, Christie, Graham.


BIG-MATCH FACTS


MIDDLESBROUGH attempt to win only the second major piece of silverware in their 130-year history, by beating Sevilla in Eindhoven this Wednesday. The comeback kings of Europe are hoping to add the Uefa Cup to the 2003/04 Carling Cup, and are aiming to become the sixth club to win this trophy (or its predecessor the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup), without ever capturing the domestic League title.

This will be the Teessiders' 64th game of a gruelling season, and 15th since 30 March. The 4-2 triumph over Steaua Bucharest in the second leg of the semi-final at the Riverside on 27 April is their only victory in seven League and Cup games. They've failed to score in six of the last nine, and in three of four. Adam Johnson's effort in the 1-1 draw at Bolton on 3 May is their only goal in four outings. But scoring has not been a problem in Europe. The Steaua game saw them fight back from three goals down for the second successive round. Conceding the opening goal in the second leg against Basle in the quarter-final on 6 April, put them 0-3 behind on aggregate, but the Riverside crowd cheered them on to a 4-3 aggregate victory.

This is the 18th time an English club has contested this match, equalling the record set by Italy. Victory would mark a record 11th Fairs/Uefa Cup triumph for an English club following Leeds (1968), Newcastle (1969), Arsenal (1970), Leeds (1971), Tottenham (1972), Liverpool (1973), Liverpool (1976), Ipswich (1981), Tottenham (1984) and Liverpool (2001).

'Boro finished a disappointing 14th in the Premiership - four places and 11 points above the relegation zone. If they go on to win this trophy, they will be the lowest ranked club to do so. Inter Milan currently hold that record. They were 13th in Serie A when they lifted the Uefa Cup in 1994.

SEVILLA are targeting a first ever European trophy, boosted by a 0-2 Andalucian derby victory at Malaga last Saturday which saw them shoot up to fifth in the Spanish Primera League and guarantee them a place in the next season's Uefa Cup. The club, crowned Spanish League champions in 1946, are appearing in their first European final, as are Middlesbrough. The clubs are meeting each other for the first time.

Victory for Juande Ramos' Sevilla team here, and for Barcelona against Arsenal in the Champions League final next week, would see Spanish clubs equalling England's record of 28 European trophies. If only one of the pair succeed, Spain would move into joint second place with Italy.

The Ibernians have won half of their League games so far this season (18 of 36), including the last three. They've conceded just one goal in four League outings.

[fuegote]

1-0 Sevilla at the half.

[RSL, UT]

Sevilla have dominated the first half, but I look for 'Boro to make some changes and turn this into a game in the 2nd half.

[prk166]

Boro had this one coming to them. They squeaked through the last few rounds. It was bound to catch up to them. Congrats to them for getting past Roma and the next couple of rounds just to get there.

[soccerman]

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