EUROPA LEAGUE FINALISTS Key facts

Success in wartime

Dnipro is based in Dnipropetrovsk, a city in the eastern half of Ukraine

■ but far from the conflict zone that has made several other Ukrainian teams homeless. Even so, Uefa security restrictions meant European games could not be played there this season, forcing Dnipro to move to Kiev. That, however, has not stopped Dnipro from knocking out a pair of former champions, Ajax and Napoli.

Rocky form

Dnipro head to Warsaw on the back of some very mixed recent form.

■ Two losses in their last three league games ended a bid to qualify for the Champions League, while Shakhtar denied them a place in the Ukrainian Cup final. But Dnipro coach Myron Markevych has been keeping his best players in reserve for tonight and Saturday brought a morale-boosting win as a youthful side beat rivals Shakhtar 3-2.

Motivated Sevilla

Sevilla midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak, who is Polish, will get an

■ added boost by playing the final in Warsaw. “He’s playing at home and that will surely be an extra motivation for him,” Sevilla captain Fernando Navarro said of the 25-year-old Krychowiak.

Tough trip

Even though Ukraine borders Poland, there are several obstacles for

■ Dnipro fans who want to travel to the game in Warsaw. The local currency has plunged in value, making foreign travel more expensive for fans. Dnipro’s supporters also require a visa to travel to Poland.