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		</div><p><b>Liverpool 1 Sevilla 3</b></p>
<p>Liverpool squandered the chance to end an 11-year European drought as defending champions Sevilla came from behind to secure an unprecedented third successive Europa League title with a 3-1 win in Basle.</p>
<p>Daniel Sturridge&#8217;s exquisite first half goal would have been worthy of winning any UEFA showpiece but Jurgen Klopp&#8217;s side failed to capitalise and went to pieces in the second half.</p>
<p>Kevin Gameiro scored just seconds after the interval as the Reds were exposed defensively before Coke grabbed two in the space of six minutes to end Liverpool&#8217;s dream of a return to the gloried European nights of yesteryear and also a place in next season&#8217;s Champions League.</p>
<p>In the build-up Liverpool&#8217;s players were at pains to stress how much belief Klopp has given them during his seven months in charge and how they had learned from the experience of losing February&#8217;s Capital One Cup to Manchester City.</p>
<p>But having taken the lead with Sturridge&#8217;s sixth goal in his last nine starts they failed to get the job done as a more streetwise Sevilla made it five wins in this competition in the last 11 years.</p>
<p>It was not quite Istanbul &#8211; the scene of their last trophy at this level with a remarkable Champions League victory over AC Milan &#8211; in reverse for Liverpool but the defeat was a devastating blow for over 22,000-plus fans who made it into St Jakob-Park &#8211; despite a 12,000 ticket allocation.</p>
<p>That caused its own issue with a minor scuffle between unsegregated rival fans in the Sevilla end but it was nothing compared to the pain felt on and off the pitch by those in red.</p>
<p>Liverpool had three penalty shouts in the first half which began withstanding some early Sevilla pressure before settling their nerves to control the last 20 minutes.</p>
<p>Roberto Firmino&#8217;s flick past Daniel Carrico hit the arm of the centre-back but Swedish referee Jonas Eriksson ignored appeals.</p>
<p>The two claims against Adil Rami and Grzegorz Krychowiak were not as strong but highlighted Liverpool&#8217;s increased dominance in the final third.</p>
<p>Emre Can had a shot palmed away by David Soria but it was Sturridge who was involved in their most threatening moments, directing a far-post header back across goal and then having a shot blocked by the goalkeeper from Adam Lallana&#8217;s reverse pass.</p>
<p>Ten minutes from the break Brazilians Firmino and Philippe Coutinho, who had an otherwise quiet half, combined to tee up Sturridge on the left of the penalty area.</p>
<p>The angles looked wrong for the predominantly left-footed England striker but he caressed a sumptuous shot with the outside of his stronger foot which arced around Soria and inside the far post.</p>
<p>Sturridge nearly turned in another cross from the tireless right-back Nathaniel Clyne before the break but the sight of Klopp sprinting to the dressing room suggested he knew there was still plenty of work to do &#8211; especially if Gameiro&#8217;s overhead kick just wide of the post from a corner was any indicator of the level of threat from the Sevilla striker.</p>
<p>The Frenchman needed just 18 seconds from the second half kick-off to prove that point as Mariano Ferreira exposed Liverpool&#8217;s left side and Gameiro diverted home from close range and only Kolo Toure&#8217;s perfectly-timed tackle prevented him making it 2-1 seconds later.</p>
<p>Only Gameiro&#8217;s mis-hit shot gave Simon Mignolet a chance to save after Alberto Moreno switched off at a throw-in as Liverpool found themselves under the cosh and their resistance was broken by a rapid interchange of passes which saw Coke fire home in the 64th minute.</p>
<p>The midfielder repeated the feat six minutes later somewhat controversially as the linesman flagged offside but Eriksson told him to put his flag down as the pass has come off a Liverpool player.</p>
<p>Klopp threw on strikers Divock Origi and Christian Benteke, switching to three at the back, in a desperate attempt to effect a miraculous comeback to match that over Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-final second leg at Anfield but this time his magic touch failed to deliver.</p>
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