Europa League & look ahead at next rounds

Wow. Just wow. If the performances of Real Madrid and Barcelona left a lot to be desired in the Champions League, the same accusation could not be levelled at the two Spanish sides left in the Europa League.

Rakitic celebrates

Sevilla ran riot over Porto at the Rámon Sánchez Pizjuán. The Portuguese team were protecting a slender 1-0 lead from the first leg but looked like meek lambs being fronted by a slavering wolf-man-thing. The team in white, led as always by mightiliy impressive if slightly divey captain Ivan Rakatić. The men from Seville even managed to score and look like bagging a hat-full even when down to 10 men, after Coke received his marching orders. Former bus conductor Carlos Bacca scored the 20th goal of his début season with Sevilla on the half hour, but the goal of the night was also the least important; Ricardo Quaresma absolutely stonking the ball into the top corner in injury time.
Equally as impressive, if not more so, Valencia turned round a 3-0 first leg deficit against Basel. They levelled the tie in 90 minutes, taking the game to extra-time during which Paco Alcácer completed his hat-trick and Bernat put the icing on the cake to crown an astounding 5-3 win.
The two clubs' prizes for these emphatic victories? They get to play each other in the semi final. Valencia have the advantage of being at home in the second leg.

In the Champions League semi final draw, Real drew tournament favourites Bayern Munich, while Atlético will welcome back old boy Fernando Torres and Chelsea in the other tie.
Pep Guardiola will take his team to the Bernabéu for the first leg on April 23, with Chelsea travelling to Madrid the previous day. Real manager Carlo Ancelotti conceded that Bayern are favourites for the tournament, but reminded the press that 'it is not easy to play against Real Madrid'. Very true words, but los Blancos will really have to improve on their midweek showing against Dortmund. Their cause has not been helped by the latest news on Ronaldo's injury. CR7 has now been ruled out of the Copa del Rey final next Wednesday, and Real are fearful he may even miss out on the first leg of the Champions League game, putting them at a massive disadvantage. Despite this, part-time Real 'keeper Iker Casillas is confident ahead of the game and maintains the club is still thinking of doing the treble this year. It is believed that Ancelotti will go with Andalucian whizzkid Isco for the big upcoming games rather than Illarramendi, with the latter's showing in Germany mid-week possibly helping nudge him to this conclusion.
On the other side of the fence, Guardiola has been telling the press he is 'happy' with the draw as he 'knows them very well,' although he did concede that they are the best counter-attacking side in the world, alongside domestic rivals Dortmund.

In the other game, Chelsea's hopes of facing a pretend 'keeper or shop-front dummy in their matches against the Liga leaders were nixed by UEFA, who have ruled that the clause in on-loan shot-stopper Thibaut Courtois' contract forbidding him from playing against his parent club is null and void. The south west London side's executive director Ron Gourlay confirmed the club would abide by the ruling, even though rumours had abounded at first that Chelsea would try and force Atleti to pay extra for the Belgium 'keeper to play.
The biggest news of this particular match-up, of course, is the return of el Niño to the Vicente Calderón. Strangely, this will be the first time Torres has played at the Calderón in the kit of another team, having missed two previous encounters against his childhood team due to injury. Whether the fans will still recognise the goal-shy Torres is another matter entirely, so poor has his form in front of goal gotten over the past few seasons. In fact, there is nothing saying he will even get onto the pitch whatsoever, so far has he fallen in
Mourinho's estimation.
Even so, he's assured of a rapturous reception from his old supporters, who still hold him in high regard.

The Kid, then and now