EUROPA LEAGUE

knockout rounds started in February. There had been some tactical misgivings about the way Lampard had been setting out his team towards the end of 2020. By late January, with Chelsea having won only two of the previous eight league games, Lampard was let go and Tuchel was brought in to save the season. The German head coach had lost the Champions League Final the season before with PSG, but getting anywhere near the final again seemed to be very far down on his list of priorities. But, as performances and results vastly improved in the domestic league and cup competitions, Chelsea also kicked into another gear in the Champions League. The Round of 16 draw saw Chelsea heading to Bucharest [because of COVID travel restrictions] to take on Atletico Madrid. Not many gave the English club a chance against Diego Simeone’s famously tight defensive side, yet a stunning overhead goal in the second half from Oliver Giroud gave Chelsea the victory. But even that away goal seemed not to be enough ahead of the second leg. However, in a far more open game – and cheered on by a very animated Thiago Silva in the stands – Chelsea’s forwards were just too much for Atletico and goals from Hakim Ziyech and Emerson saw them through to the quarter-final stage. With the draw for the last eight and the semifinals being made at the same time, Chelsea discovered their potential route to the final in the middle of March. Of the eight clubs remaining, Porto was probably the best draw Tuchel could have hoped for. But he also found out that if his side were to progress to the last four, they would be facing the winner of the Real Madrid vs. Liverpool tie. Due to the continuing travel restrictions, both quarter-final legs were played at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium, scene of Chelsea’s comprehensive victory over Sevilla in the group stage. It was a gritty display from Chelsea in the first leg, with Porto probably enjoying more of the game until Mason Mount’s goal on the half hour. A second from Ben Chilwell just before the end gave Chelsea the win and a very good first leg lead. A far quieter second game was punctuated by a spectacular goal from Porto in stoppage time. But by then the tie had been won and Chelsea was heading for their first Champions League semi-final since 2014. Their opponents would be Real Madrid, who had beaten Liverpool in the quarter-finals. With Manchester City drawn against PSG in the other semi, the all-Premier League final was still on. But Tuchel would need to use all his tactical nous to overcome a Real Madrid side that had forced their way back into the running in La Liga and fancied adding another Champions League triumph to their long list of honours. Real Madrid played their entire season in the smaller stadium at their training complex because of COVID and the lack of fans at

GOALKEEPER: EDOUARD MENDY – CHELSEA The Chelsea shotstopper just pips Manchester City’s Ederson to the No 1 jersey after keeping an incredible nine clean sheets in 12 Champions League games – including the final. DEFENDER: CESAR AZPILICUETA – CHELSEA The Chelsea captain, who eventually lifted the famous trophy in Porto, led by example throughout the competition and consistently did the ‘boring’ work while others in the squad made the headlines. DEFENDER: RUBEN DIAS –MANCHESTER CITY Pep Guardiola relied on his Portuguese defender for the majority of the season and he was a major reason why the club won the Premier League title. He was let down by his manager’s formation in the final, though. DEFENDER: MARQIUNHOS –PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN One of the less celebrated players in the PSG squad, Marquinhos is just about an ever present in the first team and even popped up with important goals throughout a Champions League campaign that fell just short. DEFENDER: ANTONIO RUDIGER – CHELSEA Rudiger is just one of a number of players given a new lease of life by Thomas Tuchel when he took over as head coach at Chelsea. The Germany international was a rock at the back for his club.

‘BY LATE JANUARY FRANK LAMPARD WAS LET GO AND THOMAS TUCHEL WAS BROUGHT IN TO SAVE THE SEASON’

BEST ELEVEN

THERE WERE SOME IMPRESSIVE INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES IN THE 2020-21 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE. DAN ROBERTS PICKS OUT A LOP-SIDED XI OF THE PLAYERS WHO CAUGHT THE EYE THE MOST…

LEFT (MAIN) Appointed in January, Thomas Tuchel righted the Chelsea ship and set a course for Champions League success

LEFT (TOP): Praised for his work rate, talent and humility, N’Golo Kante won praise from all sides for his performance

LEFT (MID): Pep Guardiola tinkered with the City midfield and left his defence exposed

LEFT: (BOTTOM): Paris SaintGermain’s hammering of Barcelona was the game of the season

BOTTOM RIGHT: The absence of Fernandinho in the midfield allowed the Chelsea forwards to attack at will the imposing Santiago Bernabeu definitely helped Chelsea as they outplayed the hosts throughout. Christian Pulisic scored the opening goal after just 14 minutes, with Karim Benzema levelling the tie in the pouring rain before half time. Chelsea had been the rank outsiders of the last four but now held a precious away goal to take back to Stamford Bridge for the second leg. Kante was, once again, outstanding as Chelsea thoroughly outclassed Real Madrid in London. A goal apiece for Timo Werner and Mount gave the home side a well-deserved victory and a 3-1 aggregate score that only flattered the Spanish side. With Manchester City winning both legs of their semi-final tie against PSG, the all-England Champions League final was set in place. City had already won the Premier League by the time the game came around – but Tuchel could point to FA Cup and league wins against Guardiola’s side. Chelsea would be the underdog, but it was sure to be a close run thing. And so it proved. In a final short on real drama and excitement, Kai Havertz scored the winner and capped off an excellent four months in charge for Thomas Tuchel. His belief in players like Rudiger, Havertz and Werner – as well as the seemingly obvious decision to play Kante in his preferred role – had seen Chelsea finish in the top four and had now brought a second Champions League triumph for the club. It is easy to point to Chelsea’s extravagant spending as a reason for its success but, at a Champions League level, there are other clubs spending much more. There are a number of factors to how Chelsea won Europe’s biggest prize this season, but the main one is that the club was ready to ditch a club favourite for a tried and trusted head coach at a crucial stage of the season. Tuchel understood how to get the best out of the very good squad of players he inherited and was able to beat the tactics of opposing managers at every turn. A German midfielder might have scored the goal that gave Chelsea the victory – but it is their German coach that made it a possibility in the first place.

MIDFIELDER: N’GOLO KANTE – CHELSEA Able to play in his preferred position, N’Golo Kante was hugely impressive during the knockout rounds for Chelsea. His never say die attitude – and refreshing humility – is a huge asset for Chelsea.

MIDFIELDER: PHIL FODEN – MANCHESTER CITY He had only just turned 21 when the Champions League final kicked off and, if this season is anything to go by, he will be featuring in a few more showpiece occasions in the next few years. MIDFIELDER: ILKAY GUNDOGAN – MANCHESTER CITY With all the attacking talent in the City squad, it is somewhat surprising that Gundogan ended up the top goalscorer for the season. He didn’t quite achieve that in the Champions League – but he always struck an inspirational figure. FORWARD: ERLING HAALAND – BORUSSIA DORTMUND Dortmund only made it to the quarterfinal stage, but without Erling Haaland the Bundesliga club may have crashed out much earlier. The Norwegian striker was the top goal scorer in the competition and strikes fear into the heart of any defence. FORWARD KYLIAN MBAPPE – PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN Mbappe has been immense all season but his six goals against Barcelona and Bayern Munich in the knockout stages suggested that PSG could win it all. But an injury meant that he could only watch from the bench as City beat his side in the semi-final. FORWARD – RIYAD MAHREZ – MANCHESTER CITY This one is a little bit of a cheat as Mahrez is nominally a midfielder. But his attacking input in the quarterfinal against Dortmund - and the semi against PSG in particular – merits inclusion in this XI.

“EL MADRIGAL WAS A FORTRESS THROUGHOUT THE COMPETITION”

YELLOW SUBMARINES ROCK NEARLY A CENTURY AFTER THEIR FORMATION, VILLARREAL HAVE FINALLY LIFTED A MAJOR TROPHY. HERE, OLI COATES ASSESSES HOW THE EUROPA LEAGUE WAS WON.

BEST ELEVEN

THE 2020-21 EUROPA LEAGUE SAW SOME STANDOUT PERFORMANCES, PARTICULARLY FROM CENTRE-BACKS, WHILE MORE THAN ONE PLAYER ROLLED BACK THE YEARS…

GOALKEEPER: GERONIMO RULLI – VILLARREAL Signed as a back-up goalkeeper last summer, Rulli has only made two appearances for Villarreal in La Liga. The 29-year-old Argentine was first choice in the Europa League though, keeping six clean sheets in 13 appearances and scoring the winning penalty in the final. DEFENDER: PAU TORRES – VILLARREAL A cultured operator in a defence which was able to shut down the opposition time and again. Superb in both semi-final games against Arsenal and in restricting Manchester United to a single goal in the final. DEFENDER: RAUL ALBIOL – VILLARREAL A rock alongside Torres, 35-year-old veteran Albiol rolled back the years in the heart of Villarreal’s defence. Commanding and with superb organisational skills, he never looked like missing his penalty in the final. DEFENDER: HARRY MAGUIRE – MANCHESTER UNITED Keenly missed in the final, Maguire’s absence highlighted just how important the United captain is to his team. A great organiser who reads the game brilliantly, the England centre-back was crucial in guiding United to a vital clean sheet against Milan at the San Siro. DEFENDER: LEONARDO SPINAZZOLA – ROMA Featured in 11 of the Giallorossi’s 14 games, as they topped their group and reached the semi-finals. Had a night to forget in the first leg of the semis against Manchester United though.

MIDFIELDER: DANI PAREJO – VILLARREAL The pass master at the heart of Villarreal’s midfield, former Valencia man Parejo is an experienced operator in the middle of the park. A stunning way to cap his first season at El Madrigal, the 32-year-old was a contender for player of the tournament.

LEFT (MAIN): Villarreal lifted the first major trophy in their 98-year history in beating Manchester United in the Europa League final

LEFT (SMALL): Gerard Moreno (C) of Villarreal celebrates with the trophy after the UEFA Europa League final

TOP RIGHT: Unai Emery is the most successful manager in the history of the Europa League, winning the competition four times with Sevilla and Villarreal Submarines are supposed to sink, aren’t they? Yet on 26 May 2021 in Gdansk, Poland, some 98 years after Villarreal were founded, El Submarino Amarillo rose to unprecedented heights by overcoming the might of Manchester United to win the Europa League. Yes, Villarreal may have won the Tercera Division in 1970, and the Intertoto Cup in 2003 and 2004. But their Europa League triumph was something altogether different from winning the title in the fourth tier of Spanish football, or a UEFA competition which carries very little prestige. This was monumental, memorable and a truly momentous occasion for a team who could only manage a seventh-place finish in La Liga. There’ll be no Europa Conference League next season for Villarreal; they go straight into the group stages of the Champions League. The Yellow Submarine went through the group stages of the Europa League unbeaten, winning five of their six matches against Maccabi Tel Aviv, Sivasspor and Qarabag. They remained unbeaten through the knockout rounds, despite the big boys entering the competition from the Champions League and having to face some ambitious clubs along the way. Red Bull Salzburg were vanquished in the Round of 32 having exited the Champions League in the group stage, courtesy of a 2-0 away win and a 2-1 triumph back at the Estadio de la Ceramica. Dynamo Kyiv were defeated 2-0 home and away, with Dinamo Zagreb seen off 3-1 on aggregate. Despite the lack of supporters, El Madrigal was a fortress throughout the competition. Villarreal won all eight of their fixtures on home soil, with their 2-1 semi-final victory over Arsenal giving them the platform to complete the job back in London courtesy of a dogged defensive display and a 0-0 draw at the Emirates Stadium. The warning signs were there for Manchester United, Villarreal’s opponents in the final. Runners-up in the Premier League, the English side went into the showpiece as the strong favourites, having lifted the trophy four years ago under Jose Mourinho. The Red Devils entered this year’s competition at the Round of 32 stage, following their elimination from the Champions League. The Old Trafford club were immediately installed as the favourites after losing in a one-off semifinal against Sevilla in the last running of the tournament. United certainly lived up to that tag, thrashing a decent Real Sociedad side 4-0 away from home in their first game in the competition. Things were far tenser in the last 16 against Milan, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side progressing 2-1 on aggregate. After beating Granada 2-0 home and away, Roma were next for United. Despite being 2-1 down at half-time in the first leg of their semifinal encounter, the Reds came out with all guns blazing and producing a superb offensive performance to beat the Giallorossi 6-2. United may have lost the second leg 3-2 in Rome, but their performance the week before meant they were fully expected to see off Villarreal in the final. Unai Emery and his players, of course, had a very different idea of what would happen. The Yellow Submarine produced a superb defensive performance, with their use of a back three and wing-backs denying United any space to operate out wide. Emery also crowded the midfield to limit Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba’s movement between the lines, while Villarreal stayed deep and compact to negate the threat of United’s most potent weapon, the counter-attack. Without injured captain Harry Maguire, United’s weakness at set-pieces was exposed once more, as Gerard Moreno netted his 30th goal of the season from a free-kick. United

MIDFIELDER: BRUNO FERNANDES – MANCHESTER UNITED Another player of the tournament contender, Fernandes top scored in last season’s Europa League and managed another eight this term. The lynchpin of this United side, the Portuguese playmaker was at his best in the semi-finals against Roma. MIDFIELDER: PAUL POGBA – MANCHESTER UNITED An influential figure for United in the latter stages of the tournament. Pogba scored the winning goal away to Milan to put his team into the quarterfinal, and was also on target in the semis against Roma. FORWARD: NICOLAS PEPE – ARSENAL The Ivorian winger netted six goals during Arsenal’s run to the semi-finals. That included strikes home and away to Slavia Prague in the quarters, and a penalty away to Villarreal in the semis which gave the Gunners a great opportunity to reach the final. FORWARD: GERARD MORENO – VILLARREAL The 29-year-old Spain international has enjoyed the season of his life, netting 30 goals in all competitions. Seven of those were in the Europa League, with all of them coming in the knockout rounds. That includes the opener in the final. FORWARD: EDINSON CAVANI – MANCHESTER UNITED The Uruguay international proved his class with six goals in just five Europa League appearances. Cavani bagged braces home and away against Roma in the semis, and his equaliser in the final provided United with the platform to go on and win the game, which they were ultimately unable to do.