Valencia CF hosted Ludogorets with a 3 goal advantage from the 1º leg away match. The final score tonight was a 1 - 0 victory for the Spanish Club with a 59th min goal from Paco Alcacer. Fairly controlled game from Valencia Cf which had more chances but all the hard work was done in the 1ºst leg & tonight was practically a formality. Valencia go through to the Europa League Quarter-Final stage with a 4 - 0 aggregate score.
Real Betis took their 2 goal advantage from the 1º st leg into tonight's game & hosted City rival Sevilla FC in what turned out to be a brilliant game of Spanish & European Football. Passionate, hard fought & intense, the match went all the way into a penalty shoot-out that gave it to Sevilla FC after fishing the 120 minutes with a 0 - 2 result taking the aggregate result to 2 - 2. The only option was the dreaded "penalty option" to unlock the tied aggregate result.
Epic battle by both with Betis playing their hearts out but paying for their lack of effectiveness upfront. Sevilla also pulled from pride & managed the important tie equalizer against the grain of play & in their worst moments mid second half. Here are all the goals & goalscorers:
0-1
Reyes ( Sevilla FC )Min 20
0-2
Bacca ( Sevilla FC ) Min 75
1-2
Penalty shoot-out:
Rubén Castro t.p.
1-3
Coke
2-3
Salva Sevilla
2-4
Gameiro
3-4
Amaya
3-5
Alberto Moreno t.p.
3-6
Rakitic
Missed penalty:
Vitolo for Sevilla
N´Diaya
Nono both for Betis
Both N´Diaya & Nono will be shattered as perhaps the exhaustion of the 120 minutes caused the mind not to be too sharp, added to which the extreme pressure of the moment played its roll on the nerves. However, this is Football & the penalty shoot-out is always cruel on the losers.
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