Antoine Griezmann scored twice and skipper Gabi added a late third as Atletico Madrid beat Marseille 3-0 to win the Europa League.
Los Rojiblancos started slowly but took complete control of the match once Griezmann pounced on a mistake to net his first 21 minutes in.
The French striker doubled his tally with another fine finish early in the second half, and it was then left to Gabi to round off the scoring with a rare goal late on.
Relive how the 90 minutes of action unfolded at the Groupama Stadium with Sports Mole's live text coverage below.
Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the Europa League final meeting between Marseille and Atletico Madrid at the Groupama Stadium in Lyon. This may feel like a home game for Les Phoceens, having made a three-hour trip up the A7 to familiar Ligue 1 surroundings, but they have won just one of nine European ties outside of the Veledrome this term and are second favourites heading into the match.
Atleti have far more recent experience when it comes to competing in the latter stages of UEFA competitions, as they have twice gone all the way in the Europa since it was reformatted and also reached two Champions League finals in the last four seasons. Unlike their opponents, Los Rojiblancos are already assured of a place in next season's Champions League as they are guaranteed a place in La Liga's top four.
MARSEILLE TEAM NEWS!
STARTING XI: Mandanda; Sarr, Rami, Luiz Gustavo, Amavi; Anguissa, Sanson; Thauvin, Payet, Ocampos; Germain
SUBS: Kamara, Lopez, Mitroglou, Njie, Pele, Rolando, Sakai
The big news as far as Marseille are concerned is that chief playmaker Dimitri Payet has been passed fit to play. The Frenchman missed the 3-3 draw with Guingamp at the weekend due to a thigh niggle, but he starts this one and captains his side. As we have now become accustomed to during this run to the final, Luiz Gustavo will fill in at centre-back alongside Adil Rami.
Bouna Sarr is another who had been struggling with a minor injury problem, though he also started tonight's game, preferred to Hiroki Sakai at right-back. On the opposite flank is Jordan Amavi, while Steve Mandanda is back between the sticks, having spent time on the sidelines to give Yohann Pele a chance between the sticks. As expected, Rudi Garcia has gone with a 4-2-3-1, using Morgan Sanson and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa in front of the back four.
Payet will operate in the hole, just off Valere Germain who has been given the nod over the benches Konstantinos Mitroglou - yet another of Marseille's fitness doubts heading into the game. Lucas Ocampos is undoubtedly a talent, but this side is all about Payet and fellow Frenchman Florian Thauvin, who have played a key part in this run to the final. That said, there is plenty of work for Germain to do in the frontline.
ATLETICO MADRID TEAM NEWS!
STARTING XI: Oblak; Lucas, Godin, Gimenez, Vrsaljko; Gabi, Saul, Koke, Correa; Costa, Griezmann
SUBS: Gameiro, Luis, Savic, Thomas, Torres, Juanfran, Werner
Atletico boss Diego Simeone has, as expected, gone with the deadly duo of Diego Costa and Antoine Griezmann up top. Greizmann had a rather underwhelming first half to the campaign by his usual high standards, but that has all changed since Costa was given the green light to start playing for Atletico in January. Fernando Torres may well play a part from the bench, while Kevin Gameiro is another attacking option.
Lucas Hernandez will operate at left-back this evening and, alongside him, Jose Gimenez has passed a fitness test - having limped off in the meeting with Getafe last weekend - to partner Diego Godin in the centre of defence. The right-back position, meanwhile, is where Sime Vrsaljko - dismissed against Arsenal in the first leg of the semi-finals - will operate. A strong back four; one that does not concede many goals.
Filipe Luis recently spent two months on the sidelines, but he has been slowly integrated back into the side and is among the subs tonight. Angel Correa and Koke provide attack support down the flanks for Atletico, while Gabi and Saul Niguez the men then tasked with pulling the strings in the middle of the park. As ever, though, there will be plenty of eyes on Costa and Griezmann up top.
Dimitri Payet, who has been battling for a place in France's World Cup squad, is deemed fit enough to start this huge game for Marseille. Having sat out the 3-3 draw with Guingamp a few days back, boss Rudi Garcia must secretly have been thinking the worst, but both Payet and Florian Thauvin are named in a talented starting XI for Les Phoceens.
Nine-time French champions Marseille are aiming to become the first Ligue 1 side to win the Europa League, which would sit nicely alongside their honour of being the first - and so far only - side from this country to win the Champions League. Whether or not their huge support will give them any sort of advantage will become clear once the game gets going, but it is certainly not a hindrance.
Marseille's European campaign began some 10 months ago in the qualifying rounds, overcoming Oostende and Domzale before then battling through the group stage. The French club did not exactly prioritise the Europa League, it is fair to say, and supporters barely packed out the Velodrome - just 8,000 turned up for one of the group-stage fixtures; their lowest-ever attendance.
Les Phoceens ultimately did enough to progress through to the last 32 of this bloated competition, finishing second to semi-final opponents Salzburg with eight points from a possible 18 - certainly not enough to suggest that they could go all the way. Home form has been a key factor all campaign, using the atmosphere generated at the Stade Velodrome - even when not full - to shake off Braga, Athletic Bilbao and RB Leipzig.
An impressive second-leg turnaround was required to overcome Leipzig in the quarter-finals, and their reward was a favourable semi against Salzburg. The Austrian club gave Marseille a major scare, however, and some would argue that it was they who deserved to progress through having played the more controlled football. After being pegged back to 2-2 in the second leg, Rolando popped up with a 116th minute winner.
Marseille have won eight of their nine Euro home matches, but the flipside of that is that they have just one victory in nine away - that coming away to Athletic Bilbao is the last 16. Les Phoceens were runners-up in the 1999 and 2004 UEFA Cup, though this is the first time that they have made it beyond the last 16 of the Europa League, having previously been eliminated in the round of 32 and group stage.
Fan protests marred one of Marseille's group-stage games, but credit to Garcia for changing things around and potentially making this a season to remember for the 1993 Champions League winners. As well as being in with a shout of winning some European silverware, the French side are also knocking on the door for a top-three spot in Ligue 1 heading into the final round of matches.
Marseille had taken 14 points from a six-match unbeaten run prior to their 3-3 draw against Guingamp at the weekend, leaving them one point and one place outside of the Champions League spots - not that it will matter a great deal if they beat Atletico. Lyon are the side directly above them and Monaco, last season's champions, are also catchable in second place.
While Les Phoceens are taking on Amiens on the final day, Lyon play host to Nice and Monaco face Troyes. This is therefore looking like Garcia's best shot of getting his side back in the Champions League, taking advantage of the backdoor route in much the same way as Manchester United did 12 months ago. It goes without saying that a place in UEFA's showpiece competition is vital if they are to attract star names.
Marseille scored four goals in the group stage but has since netted 16 in eight knockout-round fixtures, taking their tally to 20. Worryingly, though, they have kept just two clean sheets in 18 overall since qualifying from the last 32. Attack will be vital today, then, and in Payet and Thauvin they have two of the continent's finest forward players.
Only Neymar, who admittedly has missed more than two months with a foot injury, can match Payet for assists in Ligue 1 this term; only Edinson Cavani has scored more times than Thauvin, who not only has 26 goals but has also chipped in with 17 assists. Abandoning his favoured 4-3-3 formation and going with a 4-2-3-1 has clearly paid off for Garcia, who would love to write his name in Marseille folklore tonight.
DID YOU KNOW? Marseille have been involved in four previous major UEFA finals, while Atletico Madrid are competing in their ninth - five of those coming in the past nine years. Les Phoceens' sole victory in those finals was back in the 1992-93 Champions League, beating AC Milan 1-0 in Munich. Atletico, by comparison, have won three of their previous eight finals.
Atleti, whose first European success came in the 1962 Cup Winners' Cup, are tonight aiming to add to their impressive tally of honours under Diego Simeone. Ten-time Spanish champions and twice winners of the Europa League - going all the way in 2010 and 2012 - Los Rojiblancos certainly boast the pedigree and will feel confident of adding another trophy to the collection in the next couple of hours.
Simeone has made Atletico a force both at home and in Europe, winning the Copa del Rey, La Liga, Supercopa de Espana, UEFA Super Cup and the Europa League since the Argentinian took over. They endured a hugely disappointing Champions League campaign this term, however, winning just one of their six Group C matches to finish third behind Roma and Chelsea, even failing to beat Qarabag FK in two attempts.
Atleti have had better success in the Europa League since dropping down, with Simeone taking it seriously and potentially being rewarded with that latest piece of silverware. Copenhagen and Lokomotiv Moscow were both brushed aside in the early knockout rounds, before being made to work hard in a tough quarter-final against Sporting Lisbon, doing the hard work in the first leg with two early goals.
Arsenal was arguably the toughest semi-final they could have been given, and so it proved as they were a man down and a goal down heading into the closing stages of the first leg, at which point Griezmann pounced and changed the whole complexion of things. Costa then netted the only goal of the second leg to set up this final - their second UEFA final in Lyon, having previously lost 3-0 to Dynamo Kiev in the 1986 Cup Winners' Cup.
Atleti can finish no lower than third in La Liga, meaning that they are assured of a Champions League spot next term, but finishing as runners-up is important to Simeone. His side are three points better off than rivals Real Madrid, who head to Villarreal on the final matchday, so it is looking like being another positive campaign if results go the right way over the next three days.
Atletico have been a little inconsistent in La Liga, particularly since the end of February as the have not put together back-to-back wins since then. Los Rojiblancos have won six and lost one of their 12 previous encounters against Ligue 1 sides, but they have not won on French soil against French opposition since 1961. They have, however, defeated Inter Milan and Chelsea in the UEFA Super Cup, which was previously staged down the road in Monaco.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS! The only previous meetings between these two sides came in the 2008-09 Champions League group stage, with Atletico Madrid winning 2-1 at home before playing out a goalless draw at the Stade Velodrome. Marseille have won four of their previous 15 UEFA matches against Spanish opposition, losing eight of those, although two of those wins came earlier in this competition as they saw off Athletic Bilbao.
With kickoff at the Groupama Stadium now just two minutes away, let us check out some pre-match thoughts from both camps.
Rudi Garcia: "We have a lot of respect for Atletico. They are very solid, have the best defence in the Spanish League, and formidable attackers in Griezmann and Costa. The character of both teams is similar; we've shown this in the Europa League and also to get into a Champions League place. Atleti are one of the great teams in Spain. Perhaps they have more experience but this is a 90-minute football match - and that's it! But I'm disappointed Simeone is not on the bench. It's difficult for a coach to be deprived of being with his players."
Diego Simeone: "We are not thinking about [past final defeats], only what happens today. What happened before gives you experience and moments. There is a new moment that we are waiting on. Reality will dictate if we are worthy of the title. My absence? We lived it with Arsenal, at home, when German Burgos was [watching] over the team. Aside from the sadness that it gives me to not be there from the start in the final, I have a great feeling with German. We know each other for a lifetime, we have similar feelings and understanding of football."
KICKOFF! We are up and running in the ninth Europa League final! The eight previous finals have yielded 21 goals at a rate of 2.6-per-game. Incidentally, Atletico's 3-0 win against Athletic Bilbao in 2012 is the biggest-ever winning margin.
No Simeone on the touchline for Atletico today due to his extended ban, but he probably wouldn't have been much use because the players will barely be able to hear a thing. Unbelievable atmosphere at the Groupama Stadium in Lyon.
CHANCE! Plenty of smoke hovering above the pitch due to the number of flares let off. Glorious chance for the French side - Dimitri Payet slipped it through for Valere Germain, who was wayward from the one-on-one position.
SHOT! A big early chance goes begging for Marseille, then, with Germain unable to keep his composure. Already, though, Payet is beginning to pull the strings. Adil Rami puts some spin on his shot, sending the ball narrowly wide.
Marseille have been by far the better side early on here. Atletico, usually so strong at the back, have already been carved open by Payet once and Rami also came close with his shot on the turn. Koke wants his teammates to calm things down a little.
The French side are well up for this one, barely giving their opponents a minute's peace. The two Marseille holding players playing a key part early on, while the full-backs are also being given licence to get high up the field and attack.
Marseille get away their third effort of the match, which is this time dragged a fair bit wide of goal. Difficult to see Les Phoceens maintain this level of intensity across the 90 minutes - or possibly more if it goes all the way.
Momentum may finally be beginning to swing. Atletico enjoy a spell of possession and, when a cross into the box was not dealt with, Koke connected pretty well with his scissor-kick attempt and sent the ball wide of Mandanda's goal.
Simeone is looking relaxed up in one of the executive boxes - there is not a great deal he can do from there. Marseille have been very bright in the opening quarter of the match, with Atletico barely being given a chance to breath.
SHOT! Payet is given some time and space to get a shot away, but he did not quite make the desired contact and Jan Oblak comfortably collected. Not quite sure whether that was even on target - probably drifting just wide.
Garcia's men have done an incredible job of restricting Atleti so far. The two-time Europa League winners have barely put together an attacking move all night, instead being made to focus on defending. Surely that will not be the case all night.
GOAL! MARSEILLE 0-1 ATLETICO MADRID (ANTOINE GRIEZMANN)
Incredible! Atletico, who have barely had a sniff all night, take the lead through French striker Antoine Griezmann. A howler from Marseille, as Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa was caught in possession, allowing Gabi to play Griezmann through to do the rest.
YELLOW CARD! Sime Vrsaljko blocks the run of his man and is shown the game's first yellow card. Two bookings in nine minutes for the full-back in Atleti's semi-final first leg against Arsenal, remember.
Ocampos with a looping header, which Oblak was happy to watch land on the roof of his net. Got to say, that was a fine finish from Griezmann for the opener - his first sight of goal, and he took it brilliantly to open the scoring.
Atleti do love a 1-0, don't they? Judging by the way Marseille have performed in the opening half an hour, though, you have to fancy the French 'hosts' to find a leveller if things continue in this manner. An entertaining game on our hands here!
Thauvin with a flick in midfield, sending his intended pass straight out of play. Les Phoceens' play is starting to become a little more disjointed, no doubt a little shaken by Atletico's goal completely against the run of play.
Marseille not quite able to find the rhythm we saw in the 20 minutes leading up to Atletico's breakthrough. The message from Garcia will simply be to keep doing what they had been doing - Atleti were a little rattled and have not got going at all, even accounting for that goal.
MARSEILLE SUB! A big, big blow for Marseille, as Dimitri Payet has been taken off injured. The Frenchman was always touch-and-go today, and the gamble has not paid off - Maxime Lopez is on in his place, with Gustavo handed the captain's armband.
One Atletico attack, one Atletico goal - they really are the most efficient side around. Sanson has just been penalised for a foul in midfield, just when it looked as though the counter-attack was on. Half time is now fast approaching here.
YELLOW CARD! Correa makes the most of some contact from Amavi near the touchline. Not only does it eat up some minutes, it also kills off Marseille's momentum. Amavi booked a minute or so later for a rash challenge.
Godin meets the free kick but can only send his headed attempt over the crossbar. This is where Atletico are the best in the business, superbly killing off their opponents' momentum as we edge ever closer to the half-time interval.
Hesitation from Gustavo at the back but Greizmann not quite able to capitalise. Marseille were superb in the opening 20 minutes but, since Atleti scored against the run of play, they have been unable to find their groove.
The first half has petered out - no surprise when Atletico are involved with a lead to protect. Garcia must be ruing his luck, having seen his side fall a goal down against the run of play and lost his key creative man in Dimitri Payet.
HALF TIME: MARSEILLE 0-1 ATLETICO MADRID
Atletico Madrid take a one-goal lead into the break courtesy of Antoine Griezmann's strike after 21 minutes. Marseille bossed proceedings up until that point but, since the sucker-punch arrived, there has been very little action in front of either goal.
Using the familiar surroundings to their advantage, having travelled just a few hours up the A7, Marseille started by far the more dominant. Valere Germain was slipped through on goal by Dimitri Payet just six minutes in, only to miscue his shot wide of the target with just Jan Oblak to beat. Atletico were barely being given a chance to breath, and they almost fell behind when Adil Rami turned and got a shot away, which crept wide of the target.
Payet was the next to have a go, forcing Oblak into a routine stop 19 minutes in, shortly before Atletico opened the scoring from their first attacking move. After playing the ball out from the back, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa got caught in possession and, a Gabi through-ball later, Greizmann was in on goal and tucked the ball past returning goalkeeper Steve Mandanda.
Marseille, dealt a further blow when their main attacking threat in Payet limped off the field 35 minutes in, were unable to find their rhythm in the remainder of a first half that petered out. Los Rojiblancos have a slender advantage at the break, then, but it is very much all to play for in the second 45.
MARSEILLE SUBS: Kamara, Mitroglou, Njie, Pele, Rolando, Sakai
ATLETICO MADRID SUBS: Gameiro, Luis, Savic, Thomas, Torres, Juanfran, Werner
RESTART! On each of the last 15 occasions that Atletico Madrid have led in this competition they have gone on to win the match - good luck, Marseille! Los Rojiblancos have made a straight swap at right-back - Juanfran on for Vrsaljko.
Simeone, or whoever is calling the shots in the dressing room tonight, no doubt concerned about that yellow card Vrsaljko picked up in the first half. The heavens have now opened above the Groupama Stadium, making the surface very wet.
GOAL! MARSEILLE 0-2 ATLETICO MADRID (ANTOINE GRIEZMANN)
This really has been a classic Atletico Madrid display! Make that two chances, two goals - both netted by the majestic Antoine Griezmann. The Frenchman was spotted by Koke, took the ball inside Jordan Amavi and dinked it over Steve Mandanda.
A one-goal lead is usually tough enough to overcome when Atletico are involved; two goals is near impossible. Simeone will be delighted by the manner of his side's no-nonsense finishing, and they are now 35 minutes from winning another major honour.
CLOSE! Diego Godin got his head to a corner first, skimming the side-netting with his latest attempt. Marseille appear as though they are about to make a second change, sensing that this game is now getting away from them.
MARSEILLE SUB! Clinton Njie, who scored a vital first-leg goal in the semi-finals, comes on for Lucas Ocampos. Atletico holding off from making their second change for the time being, with Torres among those in reserve.
Atletico, as things stand, cruising towards a third Europa League success in eight years. Along with domestic rivals Sevilla, they are becoming kings of this competition... they are not all that bad in the Champions League, either!
Just a reminder: Atletico have had two shots on target and scored two goals. They have almost become a parody of themselves tonight, though you cannot knock it as it is incredibly effective. Marseille quite simply need the next goal.
Griezmann's second goal has completely knocked the confidence out of Marseille. The French side did not look like scoring in the final 20 minutes of the first half, and that has been the case in the opening 20 minutes of the second.
Atleti continuing to do what they do best, restricting their opponents to minimal openings. Every tackle is being celebrated like a goal now for Los Rojiblancos - they really are the best around when it comes to seeing games through.
Simeone, still high up in one of the stands, cannot relax just yet as a Marseille goal will change the complexion of things massively. Until that moment arrives, though, Los Rojiblancos supporters will continue to make all the noise.
The ball bounces around in the Atleti boss but, when the shot did eventually arrive from Maxime Lopez, it was always rising over the crossbar. Still, that offers just a glimmer of hope for the French club - maybe they will have another chance or two.
SAVE! Half a chance for Saul Niguez, who could not quite get his head to the ball near the front post. Calls for handball against Luiz Gustavo are unfounded, and from the next attack Steve Mandanda tipped a Koke flick over the crossbar.
It always was going to be an uphill battle for Marseille after going two goals behind, and so that has proved. Atletico, pretty poor in the opening 20 minutes of the match, are the team in control of the game and looking more likely to net.
MARSEILLE SUB! Rudi Garcia, now with nothing to lose, brings on Konstantinos Mitroglou for Valere Germain, who missed a glorious chance early in the match when the score was 0-0. How different the game could have been had that gone in.
Marseille really struggling to keep hold of the ball, which has been the case for a good hour or so no. Now great shame in that against this Atletico side, as they are very much the masters of seeing games through with the minimal of fuss.
Marseille, who have just had Luiz Gustavo cautioned, swing in a cross from the left which Jan Oblak gobbled up. Fernando Torres may well be introduced in the coming minutes for what would likely be his penultimate appearance for the club.
YELLOW CARD! Clinton Njie and Lucas Hernandez are both cautioned for their coming together. Got to say, Njie is the luckier of the two there as he appeared to flick his hand towards his opponent's face - perhaps should have been a red.
OFF THE POST! Marseille supporters are finally given something to shout about, as substitute striker Konstantinos Mitroglu made contact with a right-sided cross and saw the ball come back off the post.
SAVE! The French side finally starting to build some momentum now, as Jordan Amavi's strike gave Jan Oblak something to think about. Simple enough save in the end, though, with the ball being hit right down the middle.
Marseille supporters are making plenty of noise in the stands, but unfortunately for them time is very nearly up. Credit to Atletico, as they grew into the match and have pretty much managed to cruise over the line in the end for a third Europa League crown.
Njie with one of the worst shots you will ever see, completely miscuing his attempt from 15 yards when in time and space. Atletico switched off a little there and, had the ball found the back of the net, we may well have had a game on our hands.
GOAL! MARSEILLE 0-3 ATLETICO MADRID (GABI)
Atletico have themselves a third, coming at the end of a slick move that culminated in Gabi picking his spot and firing past Steve Mandanda. A deserved victory for Los Rojiblancos in the end - they were simply too good for Marseille.
FULL TIME: MARSEILLE 0-3 ATLETICO MADRID
ATLETICO MADRID ARE THE 2018 EUROPA LEAGUE WINNERS!
They may have started the game slowly - and credit must go to Marseille for that - but once Atletico Madrid edge themselves in front 21 minutes in they never once looked like letting their opponents back into the match. Antoine Griezmann was the key man with a couple of goals, while Gabi also chipped in with a rare strike late on to round things off.
That concludes Sports Mole's live text coverage of events from Lyon. Before heading off, though, check out this on-the-whistle report on a night that saw Atletico become Europa League champs for a third time. Thanks for joining!
