Europa League Final: Dnipro 2 Sevilla 3

Sevilla players celebrate with the trophy after seeing off Dnipro to claim back-to-back Europa League triumphs. Picture: AFP/Getty

Scorers: Dnipro - Kalinic (7), Rotan (44); Sevilla - Krychowiak (28), Bacca (32, 73)

The 28 year old struck a goal in each half to secure a 3-2 victory at Warsaw’s Narodowy Stadium and hand the Spaniards back-to-back triumphs in the competition in its current format. They also won its previous incarnation, the Uefa Cup, two years running, in 2006 and 2007. In doing so, they have gone one better than Inter Milan, Juventus and Liverpool, with whom they had been level on three wins before kick-off.

Nikola Kalinic had given the Ukraine outfit, playing in their first major European final, a seventh-minute lead, but goals by Grzegorz Krychowiak and Bacca inside three first-half minutes put the holders in pole position to retain the trophy.

Ruslan Rotan’s free kick gave the Ukraine side hope, but Bacca won it with 17 minutes remaining with his sixth goal in this season’s competition.

Dnipro could hardly have got off to a better start when they forced their way in front with just seven minutes gone. Kalinic climbed high to flick a long ball into the path of wide-man Matheus and then made his way into the middle to despatch the Brazilian’s inch-perfect cross with a firm downward header.

Sevilla gathered themselves and gradually built up a head of steam, and they might have been level 17 minutes later had goalkeeper Denys Boyko not reacted smartly to repel Krychowiak’s header.

However, the Poland international was not to be denied and he levelled with 28 minutes gone when, after Dnipro had failed to deal adequately with a corner, he took an intelligent touch before firing right-footed past Boyko.

Sevilla’s concerted response paid dividends again within four minutes when Bacca ran on to Jose Antonio Reyes’ superb pass to round the goalkeeper and slot into the empty net. Keeper Sergio Rica had to be at his best to turn away Yevhen Konoplyanka’s curling 37th-minute strike, but there was nothing he could do to prevent Rotan from levelling with a sumptuous 44th-minute free kick.

The frenetic pace of the game continued after the break and Sevilla regained the lead with 17 minutes remaining when Vitolo stabbed the ball through to Bacca, whose emphatic left-foot finish gave Boyko no chance.

The Spanish side held on, although the game ended in worrying circumstances for Dnipro as midfielder Matheus left the field on a stretcher after appearing to collapse following a clash of heads. However, it was later reported he had only sustained a broken nose.

Dnipro: Boyko, Fedetskiy, Douglas, Cheberyachko, Leo Matos, Kankava (Shakhov 85), Fedorchuk (Bezus 68), Matheus, Rotan, Konoplyanka, Kalinic (Seleznyov 78). Subs not sed: Lastuvka, Vlad, Bruno Gama, Luchkevych.

Sevilla: Sergio Rico, Aleix Vidal, Carrico, Kolodzieczak, Tremoulinas, Mbia, Krychowiak, Reyes (Coke 58), Banega (Iborra 87), Vitolo, Bacca (Gameiro 82). Subs not used: Beto, Fernando Navarro, Diogo Figueiras, Suarez.

Referee: Martin Atkinson (Eng).

Attendance: 45,000