ALEIX VIDAL’S BRACE and one from substitute Kevin Gameiro gave Sevilla a 3-0 win over Fiorentina in their UEFA Europa League semi-final first leg last night and put the defending champions in pole position to reach another showpiece.
Unai Emery’s side lifted the trophy last season thanks to a penalty shootout victory over Benfica and are bidding to become the first club to win the competition four times.
They are now clear favourites to at least reach the final in Warsaw, after Vidal and Gameiro put them in firm control of the tie. Vidal’s first was a low driven shot from 18 yards, before the Spaniard made it two with a calm finish early in the second half, although Fiorentina goalkeeper Neto made his job easier with a poor effort to deny him.
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Then Gameiro, who came off the bench to replace Carlos Bacca, scored with his first touch to cap yet another strong home performance from Sevilla, who have now won nine consecutive matches at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan in this competition.
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Fiorentina will regret their first-half profligacy, with Mario Gomez, Matias Fernandez and Mohamed Salah all spurning excellent chances either side of Vidal’s opener.
MEAWNHILE, Substitute Yevhen Seleznyov scored within seconds of coming on to snatch a 1-1 draw for Dnipro in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League semi-final against Rafael Benitez’s Napoli.
David Lopez had put the home side in front at Stadio San Paolo with his first Napoli goal and the Serie A outfit looked nailed on for victory. However, Seleznyov came off the bench to net a close-range equaliser - and what could prove to be a crucial away goal - 10 minutes from time.
Napoli looked brightest early on and came close to an opener when Lorenzo Insigne struck the outside of the left-hand post. Dnipro settled as the half progressed, but rarely threatened and it took Napoli little time to forge ahead after the interval.
Gonzalo Higuain spurned numerous chances to extend the advantage after Lopez had opened the scoring and Seleznyov pounced to punish that profligacy, denting Napoli’s hopes of reaching a first European final since 1989.
