Roma secured their spot in the Europa League final with a resilient defensive display, holding Bayer Leverkusen to a goalless draw in Germany. The Italian club advanced on a 1-0 aggregate scoreline after triumphing in the first leg of the semifinal at home.
Their opponent in the final will be Sevilla, a six-time champion, who prevented an all-Italian final by knocking out Juventus with a 2-1 victory after extra time.
Scheduled for May 31, the final will take place in Budapest, Hungary.
Although Leverkusen's Moussa Diaby struck the crossbar early on and Roma goalkeeper Rui Patrício made key saves, Roma's defense remained solid. Despite their limited attacking presence, they managed to secure their place in the final with just one shot on goal in the entire game.
José Mourinho aims to secure back-to-back European titles with Roma, having won the inaugural edition of the Europa Conference League last season. He previously claimed the Europa League trophy with both Porto and Manchester United and has also won two Champions League titles.
"It's an unbelievable team, I don't know if I can ask for more from Roma, but these guys deserve something special," Mourinho expressed to Sky Sports.
For Roma, winning the Europa League could be their only chance to qualify for next season's Champions League.
Sevilla, despite sitting 10th in the Spanish league, has once again proven their prowess in Europe, eliminating Manchester United in the quarterfinals. They aim to salvage a challenging season by clinching their seventh triumph in the second-tier European competition.
In the Europa Conference League, West Ham secured a dramatic victory over AZ Alkmaar, with substitute Pablo Fornals scoring in stoppage time to send the Premier League club to their first European final in 47 years. The aftermath was marred by crowd trouble, as some Dutch supporters attempted to storm into the area reserved for the visitors' friends and family.
West Ham will face Fiorentina in the final in Prague on June 7. Fiorentina also needed extra time to advance, as substitute Antonin Barak netted the decisive goal in the 129th minute to secure a 3-1 win at Basel. The victory marked Fiorentina's first European final appearance since 1990, contributing to Italy's presence in all three UEFA competition finals.
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(With PTI inputs)