All-Spanish final for Europa League
Edited time: April 27, 2012 02:21
Spanish sides Athletic Bilbao and Atletico Madrid will decide the fate of the Europa League in a head-to-head clash in Bucharest, Romania on May 9.
Athletic Bilbao 3-1 Sporting Lisbon (4-3 on aggregate)
Sporting were 2-1 ahead after the first leg in Portugal, and looked well on course to bagging their place in the final after Ricky van Wolfswinkel made it 1-1 with one minute remaining in the first half.
But the visitors relaxed too early as Ibai Gomez beat visiting keeper Rui Patricio to level the aggregate score just before the halftime whistle, 2-1.
After the break, it was Athletic who managed to deliver the blow when it mattered most.
On the 88th minute, the Spanish side's top scorer Fernando Llorente turned Gomez‘s cross into a goal, leaving Sporting with no time to equalize.
Valencia 0-1 Atletico Madrid (2-5 on aggregate)
After grabbing a confident home win, Atletico proved they’re worth the final away at Mestalla Stadium.
They not only prevented Valencia from scoring, but managed to come up with a goal of their own, thanks to great a strike from Ardian Lopez after an hour of play, 1-0.
The red card awarded to Thiago was the only thing that spoiled Atletico’s celebrations on the night, as the key midfielder will now miss the final.
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