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Fiorentina v Sevilla preview

While Vincenzo Montella thinks "belief" can help ACF Fiorentina achieve an unlikely comeback, Unai Emery says Sevilla FC "don't want to be a side that throws away this advantage".

Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Montella at the pre-match press conference
Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Montella at the pre-match press conference ©AFP/Getty Images

Aleix Vidal scored two and set up another as Sevilla won first leg 3-0
Vincenzo Montella says Fiorentina "must score, not concede and have a bit of luck"
Fiorentina have won return legs of all three knockout ties this season
Only 13 sides (from 245) have lost away first leg 3-0 in this competition and advanced
Sevilla hope to become first team to win UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League four times

Possible lineups
Fiorentina
: Neto; Tomović, Savić, G Rodríguez, Alonso; Borja Valero, Pizarro, Fernández; Joaquín/Iličič, Salah, Gomez.
Out: Babacar (knee), Richards (thigh), Vargas (adductor), Rossi (knee)
• Doubts: Salah (muscular) 

Sevilla: Rico; Coke, Carriço, Kolodziejczak, Trémoulinas; Banega, Krychowiak; Aleix Vidal, Iborra, Vitolo; Bacca.
Out: Pareja (knee)
Doubts: Mbia (head), Beto (shoulder)

Vincenzo Montella, Fiorentina coach
I cannot remember coming back from 3-0 down in a cup tie. I watched the Bayern v Barcelona second leg and I saw great pride from Bayern. They believed until the end. In situations like this, you need to have conviction and we have that. We have to score and not concede. You also require a bit of luck, but most important [is that] we don't concede.

Watch UEFA Europa League semi-final goals

Sevilla showed they're a great side but we showed we're not inferior. A goal can come at any time and could change the balance of the game. I don't believe in giving percentages – let's say we've got very small chance, but we've still got to try. Maybe it's ten or 15% chance, but we've got to give all we've got.

What counts is that we impose ourselves. I don't think we necessarily have to score in the first few minutes to have a chance. There are so many things you can wish for – that they have ten men, that we score early and again at the start of the second half. We just need to have optimism and faith and this is the first step. Why shouldn't we win 5-0?

We have to see with [Mohamed] Salah, who has a bit of a niggle. We hope he is 100% fit. We are incredibly motivated to get to the final and overturn this deficit. Winning this tournament means we could qualify for the Champions League. If you want to make history, you need to have belief. We all need to believe because it is possible. Considering our quality, I really think it's possible.

Sevilla coach Unai Emery at the pre-match press conference
Sevilla coach Unai Emery at the pre-match press conference©AFP/Getty Images

Unai Emery, Sevilla coach
We're very aware that we are close to the final and we have prepared for this match disregarding the first-leg result. We cannot think it will be so clear-cut again. We're very motivated. Our only thought is on competing and playing our best.

We're going to have to be careful because we know they will be very motivated. We have to give a good performance, and a good performance comes when you play to win.

We're fully focused because both sides have knocked out very strong teams on their way here. We've already been in this situation and we don't want to be the side that throws away such an advantage. I've heard of people who have already booked tickets for Warsaw, trying to get cheap flights assuming we will be there, but I can't guarantee that we will be there. All I can guarantee is that we will give everything to get there.

I don't want to talk percentages. I know we are 50% there, but I want to see our real chances. We know Fiorentina are a good team. We may have beaten them in the first leg, but we cannot take it for granted that we'll beat them again.

We have to keep our concentration from the very first to the very last second. I want my team to be playing in the 80th minute like we were in the first minute. We've got to be on our toes at all times.

Mario Gomez rues a miss in Seville
Mario Gomez rues a miss in Seville©Getty Images

Expert insight
Guilty of profligacy against FC Dynamo Kyiv in the last eight, Fiorentina were again culpable in Seville. They went into the game the only one of the four semi-finalists to have registered more shots off target (74) than on (68), and it was easy to see why.

First-half chances for Mario Gomez, Matías Fernández and Salah were too good to have been turned down. As is to be expected at this phase of the competition, they were made to pay. They need to get everything right in Florence ... and hope Sevilla get a few things wrong too. Tom Kell

Weekend results
Empoli FC 2-3 Fiorentina (Saponara 28, Mchedlidze 77; Iličić 4 68, Salah 57 )
RC Celta de Vigo 1-1 Sevilla (Santi Mina 58pen; Gameiro 8)

Form guide (all comps, most recent first)
Sevilla: DWLWWD
Fiorentina: WLWLLW

Match fact
• Only one team has ever retrieved a three-goal deficit in a UEFA Europa League knockout phase tie. Find out who in our extensive match background.

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