Two Carlos Bacca goals helped give Sevilla a 3-2 win over Dnipro to claim their fourth Europa League trophy and second in a row.
Sevilla a year ago beat Benfica on penalties in Turin but the final in Warsaw was a much different affair, the teams entering a display worthy of the showpiece.
Los Rojiblancos now enter next season’s Champions League, which means Spain will have five representatives in the competition.
Sevilla, as well as winning the Europa League in 2013-14, claimed the rebranded UEFA Cup in 2005-06 and 2006-07, emulating the feat some eight years later.
Nikola Kalinic scored with Dnipro’s first attack of the game after some uncertain defending from Unai Emery’s side, the Coach having named an attacking XI.
It was Sevilla doing the attacking before and after, however, and their persistence was rewarded before the half-hour mark when Grzegorz Krychowiak netted.
Sevilla didn’t settle for parity though and were in front moments later when Jose Antonio Reyes and Bacca combined.
The lead didn’t last the half as veteran Ruslan Rotan curled an effortless free kick into the back of the Sevilla net with just minutes to go before the break.
While still watchable the second half didn’t spark like the first and it took a good 30 minutes for a fifth goal, Bacca getting his second with another fine display of poaching.
Dnipro ended the game with 10 men as Matheus had to be helped from the field, with concern over his condition hanging over the final moments of an engrossing encounter.
New Spain call-ups Sergio Rico, Aleix Vidal and Vitolo all started for Sevilla while Dnipro were able to call on dangerous Ukraine international Yevhen Konoplyanka.
But it was Kalinic who opened the scoring after an opening few minutes that was all Sevilla. Dnipro played the ball long, the ex-Blackburn striker won the header and then hared into the penalty area to meet Matheus’ cross.
Sevilla had a few half-chances prior to the opening goal and something of a penalty claim for a foul on Reyes but a long-range effort from Ever Banega and a blocked shot from Vitolo couldn’t level the score.
Reyes went closer as he cut inside from the right and rifled an attempt at Denys Boyko’s goal while Krychowiak called the goalkeeper into action with a powerful header.
Krychowiak didn’t have to wait long to score on his return to Poland, though, when Sevilla worked a short corner into Bacca in the penalty area and he was able to lay-off to the midfielder.
Bacca returned to his more usual scoring duties a few minutes later after a delightful through ball from Reyes sprung the defence, the Colombia international rounding Boyko and slotting into the empty net.
Konoplyanka gave Rico the chance to show why he was this week named in the Spain squad as he got a good hand to a wicked shot from range, Dnipro looking to get back level.
Vidal hit a rasping shot as Sevilla broke following a Dnipro attack but Rotan’s precise free kick meant the sides couldn’t be separated at the break.
The second half proved almost as end-to-end as the first, with Konoplyanka in particular allowed too much space, always looking to dart inside from the left wing.
There was little caution from either side even if the chances weren’t so frequent – a Sevilla corner needing a Boyko block and a few more from the ‘keeper’s teammates to prevent the loose ball being bundled home.
Vitolo felt he should have had a penalty after he went down in an incident with Matheus, English referee Martin Atkinson unmoved but Sevilla were ahead shortly after regardless.
Dnipro failed to clear and Stephane Mbia helped the ball back for Vitolo to poke through to Bacca, who finished with his expected accuracy.
Bacca could have had a hat-trick after meeting Mbia’s cross but Boyko’s flailing arms kept the header out, Matheus not drawing a save from Rico with a header of his own shortly after.
There was a troubling moment shortly before the final whistle as Matheus collapsed with no one near him and had to be stretchered off, and it’s not known how serious or the cause of the incident but it may have been a delayed reaction to a clash of heads.
Sevilla were able to hold on to their lead without much danger, becoming the first team to win the competition on four different occasions.
Dnipro 2-3 Sevilla
Kalinic 7 (D), Krychowiak 28, Bacca 31, 73 (S), Rotan 43 (D)
Dnipro: Boyko; Douglas, Cheberyachko, Fedetskyi, Matos; Fedorchuk (Bezus 68), Rotan, Kankava (Shakhov 85), Konoplyanka, Matheus, Kalinic (Seleznyov 78)
Sevilla: Rico; Aleix Vidal, Carrico, Kolo, Tremoulinas; Mbia, Krychowiak; Reyes (Coke 58), Banega (Iborra 86), Vitolo; Bacca (Gameiro 82)
Referee: Atkinson [ENG]
