Valencia produce amazing fightback to reach Europa League semi-finals

Valencia turn around 3-0 deficit to
beat Basel
Sevilla, Juventus and Benfica also
reach semis
Valencia's Paco Alcácer celebrates
their third goal during the Europa League
quarter-final second leg against Basel.

Friday 11 April 2014 00.24 BST
It was a good night for Spanish sides in
the Europa League as Valencia and
Sevilla both reached the semi-finals
along with Juventus and Benfica.
Valencia completed the comeback of the
night as they clawed their way back
from a 3-0 first-leg deficit to Basel to
make it 3-3 on aggregate after 90
minutes. Valencia then completed the
fightback, helped by a hat-trick from
Paco Alcácer to win 5-3 on aggregate
after extra time.
It completed a good night for Spain as
10-man Sevilla tormented a fragile Porto
side to secure a 4-2 aggregate victory.
Serie A leaders Juve beat Olympique
Lyon 3-1 on aggregate after winning 2-1
in Turin with an Andrea Pirlo free-kick
and a Samuel Umtiti own goal, while
Benfica's Rodrigo scored twice – once in
each half – in a 2-0 home win over AZ
Alkmaar to complete a 3-0 overall
success.
Basel were 3-0 up heading into the
second leg at a highly-charged Mestalla
stadium, but came up against a Valencia
side with the bit between their teeth. An
Alcácer double and one from Eduardo
Vargas levelled the tie at 3-3 to force
extra time, during which the Swiss had
Marcelo Díaz and Gastón Sauro sent off
before Alcácer got his treble and Juan
Bernat added a fifth to end an
extraordinary match. It is the first time
any team has recovered from a 3-0
deficit since the first Europa League
season in 2009-10.
Sevilla overturned a 1-0 first-leg deficit
to rout Porto 4-1 on the night with an
Ivan Rakitic penalty and further goals
from Vitolo, Carlos Bacca and Kévin
Gameiro before Porto's Ricardo
Quaresma scored a spectacular late
consolation.
The draw for the semi-finals is on
Friday.