EUROPA LEAGUE HOLDERS Sevilla remain on course to win the trophy for the third season running after coming from behind to win 2-1 away to Spanish rivals Athletic Bilbao in the first leg of their tie.
Sevilla have not won away from home all season in La Liga and, after a goalless first half in which Aritz Aduriz hit the post for the hosts, they went behind in the 48th minute.
Iker Muniain crossed and the evergreen Aduriz headed in his 32nd goal of a remarkable campaign.
But as the rain lashed down in the Basque Country, Sevilla silenced San Mames when Ever Banega pounced on a short headed back-pass by Muniain and set up Timothee Kolodziejczak to score.
Kevin Gameiro then set up substitute Vicente Iborra to give Sevilla the win seven minutes from time and leave beaten 2012 finalists Athletic up against it ahead of the return leg.
One Spanish side is guaranteed to make the last four and Villarreal hope to be there too after beating Sparta Prague of the Czech Republic 2-1 at El Madrigal.
Cedric Bakambu got both goals for the hosts, charging down a clearance by goalkeeper David Bicik for the early opener and then scoring the winner in the second half after Jakub Brabec had headed Sparta’s equaliser.
Meanwhile Ukraine’s Shakhtar Donetsk, the 2009 Uefa Cup winners, are in the driving seat in their tie against Braga after a 2-1 victory in Portugal.
Yaroslav Rakitskiy fired Shakhtar ahead on the stroke of half-time and Facundo Ferreyra increased their lead before Wilson Eduardo grabbed a potentially vital goal for 2011 runners-up Braga late on.
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