Spanish teams are dominating the Uefa Champions League and the Europa League. Holders Sevilla remain in the latter competition, where they will face compatriots Villarreal in the first leg of a last-16 tie this evening.
Sevilla have won the Europa League (known as the Uefa Cup until 2009) three times in the past nine years, and a Spanish club has won the competition six times since Valencia’s 2004 triumph.
Two Russian clubs have won it. No other country has lifted it more than once. Spain had four entrants into this season’s competition, but Real Sociedad did not get beyond a qualifier and their Basque neighbours and 2012 finalists Athletic Bilbao were eliminated 5-4 by Torino in the last round of 32.
Four Italian sides are in the last 16 with Fiorentina meeting Roma in an all-Italian tie, Inter Milan playing Wolfsburg and Torino facing Zenit St Petersburg.
Only one English team, Everton, remain, and there will only be one Spanish team in the last eight.
Sevilla’s European know-how and second-leg home advantage makes them slight favourites over Villarreal.
The pair, who have played eight and 10 games respectively to reach this stage, are fifth and sixth in La Liga, with the Yellow Submarines enjoying the better recent form and closing the gap to just a point.
With a five-point gap above Sevilla to a Champions League position and a seven-point gap below Villarreal to Malaga, both look set to reach the competition again next season, even if one of them does not win the cup.
It will be the first of three encounters between the clubs in 11 days for they also meet in the league on March 22, three days after the second leg.
Sevilla won the league meeting between the pair 2-1 in October but Villarreal were leading until the 88th minute after a Luciano Vietto goal. A Denis Suarez strike and a 93rd minute Carlos Bacca goal gave Sevilla the home win with Villarreal feeling hard done by and vengeful ahead of tonight’s match.
With 20 goals in their eight games since the start of the group stage, Villarreal are the tournament’s top scorers and the Argentine Vietto, 21, has been the stand-out player this season.
“Vietto is a great player who is playing exceptionally well for us at the moment,” Villareal coach Marcelino said.
“His adaptation and performances have been far better than we expected.
“You always have to be sensible with young players, but it’s obvious that he has plenty more room to develop.”
Vietto grew up in Cordoba but moved to La Plata at 15 to join Estudiantes.
A further move to Racing Club in Buenos Aires saw then coach Diego Simeone award him his debut at 17.
He scored 13 in 32 league games in 2012/13 and, while he was less prolific in the 2013/14 season, Villarreal had seen enough to make their move last August.
Starting up front, he has scored 19 goals and made seven assists from just 23 starts, the most recent goal coming in Sunday’s 4-1 win over Celta Vigo.
Real Madrid and Barcelona are said to be interested in the fleet-heeled striker who has struck up a formidable partnership with Denis Cheryshev, who is on loan from Real Madrid.
Simeone and Atletico also know all about him and he most recently dribbled past the usually peerless Diego Godin to score a surprise winner at league champions Atletico in December.
Vietto is still excitable enough to have his picture taken with compatriot Lionel Messi after matches, but wise enough to remain grounded.
Villarreal are hoping he can be the difference in the three meetings against evenly matched Sevilla.
sports@thenational.ae
Follow us on twitter at @NatSportUAE
