In Focus: En-Nesyri can give Roma a Sevilla headache

Sevilla are on the hunt for their seventh Europa League title and Youssef En-Nesyri could be the man to fire them past Roma in the final. 

The Moroccan scored a brace against Manchester United in the quarter-final stage before netting past Juventus at the Allianz Stadium in the semi-final first leg. 

Sevilla are the record holders in this competition already, with six triumphs, though Giallorossi boss Jose Mourinho will be looking to secure his sixth personal European trophy at their expense. 

We take a look at how En-Nesyri can make the difference as the pair tussle over the trophy in Budapest.

Goal machine

En-Nesyri has scored six goals in 850 minutes of European football this season, netting twice in the Champions League and four times in the Europa League. 

He is Sevilla’s primary goal threat, having taken a team-high 32 shots, 15 of which have been on target. 

If the Spanish side are to bring home the coveted trophy, the 57-cap international will more than likely need to be the hero.

Battle cry

Sevilla have improved significantly since boss Jose Luis Mendilibar replaced the unpopular Jorge Sampaoli last March.

Mendilibar has introduced a 4-2-3-1 formation, with En-Nesyri spearheading the attack in his favoured No9 role.

The experienced Spaniard, 62, said: "I don't ask players to do square roots, I ask them to do addition and subtraction.

"The players have seen that simplicity also brings results.

"In Budapest, we will play to the death. We will be facing a very difficult opponent who knows how to play these games. 

"This duel will be special for everyone and we will put everything into it."

Player of the Month

En-Nesyri was named LaLiga Player of the Month for April and will hope to recapture the form that earned him that award in the final. 

The Fez native made a decisive contribution to the Andalusian outfit’s 13-point haul that month, scoring in three of their five matches. 

Sevilla began April just two points clear of the drop zone and entered May with a 10-point cushion, largely due to En-Nesyri’s contributions.

Summer speculation

En-Nesyri’s performances this season have not gone unnoticed in Europe. 

Several clubs have shown interest in the striker, including Premier League sides Tottenham, West Ham and Crystal Palace — though he remains focused on his task until the culmination of the season. 

He said: "I thank all the clubs that have contacted my agent but at the moment I want to have my head only in Sevilla. 

"It’s not a money issue, but a sporting issue."

Fox in the box

Under Mourinho, Roma are a compact, organised outfit and are difficult to break down. 

The Italian side have won possession back in the defensive third 342 times, the middle third 313 times and the attacking third 65 times — all competition-leading totals. 

Additionally, they have conceded just 10 goals in 14 European games, keeping an impressive six clean sheets along the way. 

As a result, En-Nesyri may not be afforded as many chances as he is accustomed to — he will have to be decisive with the few sights of goal that fall his way.