Ukraine's Dnipro edged out Napoli in their Europa League semi-final last night to set up a final meeting in Warsaw with Sevilla.
In doing so Dnipro are the first Ukrainian side to reach the final since Shakhtar Donetsk in 2009, in which they emerged victorious.
It's been a terrific season for Dnipro. Up until last weekend's defeat by Zorya Luhansk they were in the running to break the duopoly-come-monopoly of Dynamo Kyiv and Shakhtar Donetsk in the Ukrainian Premier league. Although still mathematically possible with three games left including a game with the leaders Dynamo it seems improbable that Dnipro will break the dominance of the Ukrainian Big two. To be competing with them is an achievement in itself but its Europe where Dnipro have absolutely excelled this season.
Its a journey that has seen Dnipro go far and wide to reach their first European final. Italy twice, France, Croatia, Azerbaijan, Greece, Holland and Belgium. Few would've ever thought they would reach the final. They did so in determined gritty style. They squeezed through their group with a narrow 1-0 win over Saint Étienne, they narrowly got through Ajax in the last 16, edged Club Brugge out in the quarter-finals 1-0 over two legs and finally last night got past Napoli 2-1 on aggregate but it must be said that Napoli had a fair amount of chances to send Dnipro packing.
The team itself doesn't have any star players. Their top scorer is former Blackburn striker Nikola Kalinic who came on in the 2nd half last night. Yevhen Konoplyanka has been linked with some richer western clubs, Bruno Gama was part of the Deportivo side in 2013 that were relegated from La Liga, former Ukraine international Ruslan Rotan is still playing and midfield enforcer Jan Kankava has had a modest career to date with stint at fellow Ukrainian side Kryvbas. Even the goalscoring hero from last night, Yevhen Seleznyov, was allowed to leave Shakhtar Donetsk in 2011.
So not a team built with star names but built with an incredible wit of determination and team spirit. They were complete outsiders of the final four with few giving them a chance against a Napoli side that could count on the likes of Higuaín, Callejón, Hamsík and Inler.
Sevilla will certainly be the favourites in the final but that won't phase Dnipro, they have been used to being the underdog in this competition.
For the final itself I can see Dnipro being very hard to get through and Sevilla do have a habit of squandering big chances (you look at the league defeat at Real Madrid). Sevilla have the players to hurt Dnipro but although I still think Sevilla will emerge victorious, I can see it being decided by possibly the one goal or one goal margin. I'll be going with a 2-1 extra-time win for Sevilla but hopefully we get a terrific contest and who knows maybe Dnipro have one more shock result in them to land their first ever European trophy.
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