2018 UEFA Europa League final facts for kids
| 2018 UEFA Europa League Final programme.jpg
Match programme cover
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| Event | 2017–18 UEFA Europa League | ||||||
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| Date | 16 May 2018 | ||||||
| Venue | Parc Olympique Lyonnais, Décines-Charpieu | ||||||
| Man of the Match | Antoine Griezmann (Atlético Madrid) | ||||||
| Referee | Björn Kuipers (Netherlands) | ||||||
| Attendance | 55,768 | ||||||
| Weather | Cloudy night 18 °C (64 °F) 66% humidity |
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The 2018 UEFA Europa League Final was a big football match. It was the final game of the 2017–18 UEFA Europa League season. This is a major European club football tournament. It's organized by UEFA, which is like the main football group in Europe. The game was played on May 16, 2018. It took place at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais in Décines-Charpieu, France. The two teams playing were Marseille from France and Atlético Madrid from Spain.
Atlético Madrid won the match with a score of 3–0. This was their third time winning the Europa League title. Because they won, Atlético Madrid got to play against Real Madrid. Real Madrid had won the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League. This special game was called the 2018 UEFA Super Cup. Atlético Madrid also got a spot in the group stage of the 2018–19 UEFA Champions League.
Contents
Teams in the Final
Two strong teams made it to the final. They were Marseille from France and Atlético Madrid from Spain.
- Marseille had played in two UEFA Cup finals before (in 1999 and 2004). They had not won either of those.
- Atlético Madrid had also played in two Europa League finals before (in 2010 and 2012). They had won both of those games.
Where the Game Was Played
The final match was held at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais. This stadium is in Décines-Charpieu, near Lyon, France. UEFA chose this stadium on December 9, 2016. For the final, the stadium was sometimes called "Stade de Lyon."
How the Teams Reached the Final
Both teams had a long journey to get to the final.
Marseille's Journey
Marseille started their journey in the Europa League qualifying rounds. They played against teams like Oostende and Domžale to get into the main competition. In the group stage, they played against Konyaspor, Red Bull Salzburg, and Vitória de Guimarães. They finished second in their group.
After the group stage, Marseille entered the knockout rounds:
- Round of 32: They beat Braga from Portugal.
- Round of 16: They won against Athletic Bilbao from Spain.
- Quarter-finals: They defeated RB Leipzig from Germany.
- Semi-finals: They faced Red Bull Salzburg again. Marseille won 3–2 over two games, but it went into extra time in the second leg!
Atlético Madrid's Journey
Atlético Madrid actually started their season in the UEFA Champions League. They played in a group with Roma, Chelsea, and Qarabağ. They finished third in their Champions League group. This meant they moved down to the Europa League knockout phase.
Once in the Europa League, Atlético Madrid showed their strength:
- Round of 32: They easily beat Copenhagen from Denmark.
- Round of 16: They had a big win against Lokomotiv Moscow from Russia.
- Quarter-finals: They defeated Sporting CP from Portugal.
- Semi-finals: They played against Arsenal from England. Atlético Madrid won 2–1 over two games to reach the final.
Before the Match
Special Ambassador
A famous former French football player, Eric Abidal, was chosen as the ambassador for this final. He used to play for Lyon and also won the Champions League with Barcelona.
Tickets for Fans
The stadium could hold about 57,000 people for the final. A lot of tickets were available for fans. The two teams playing also got a certain number of tickets for their supporters. Fans from all over the world could buy tickets online. They were sold in different price groups, from €45 to €150.
Opening Show
Before the match started, there was an exciting opening ceremony. The French DJ duo Ofenbach performed live for everyone in the stadium.
The Match Itself
The Referees
The main referee for the final was Björn Kuipers from the Netherlands. This was his second time refereeing a Europa League final. He had also refereed a Champions League final before. He had a team of other referees from the Netherlands helping him.
How the Goals Were Scored
The game was exciting! Here's how Atlético Madrid scored their goals:
- First Goal (21st minute): Marseille's player, André-Frank Zambo Anguissa, made a mistake with a pass. The ball went to Gabi of Atlético Madrid. Gabi then passed to Antoine Griezmann, who scored with a low shot.
- Marseille's Captain Injured: Sadly, Marseille's captain, Dimitri Payet, had to leave the game early in the 32nd minute because of an injury.
- Second Goal (49th minute): Early in the second half, Antoine Griezmann scored again! He got a pass from Koke and cleverly chipped the ball over the goalkeeper.
- Third Goal (89th minute): Just before the end of the game, Gabi scored the third goal for Atlético Madrid. He got another pass from Koke and shot it low into the net.
Atlético Madrid won the match 3–0, becoming the champions!
Match Details
| 16 May 2018 20:45 CEST |
Marseille  |
0–3 |  Atlético Madrid |
Parc Olympique Lyonnais, Décines-Charpieu Attendance: 55,768 Referee: Björn Kuipers (Netherlands) |
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| https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/season=2018/matches/round=2000895/match=2022218/index.html |
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          Marseille
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     Atlético Madrid
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Man of the Match: Assistant referees: |
Match rules
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Game Statistics
Here are some interesting numbers from the match:
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Images for kids
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A diagram showing player positions during the match.
See also
In Spanish: Final de la Liga Europa de la UEFA 2017-18 para niños
- 2018 UEFA Champions League Final
- 2018 UEFA Super Cup
- Atlético Madrid in European football
- Olympique de Marseille in European football
