Portuguese side Benfica and Spanish club Sevilla has won their first-leg clashes of the Europa League semi-finals by defeating Italian giants Juventus and Spanish side Valencia respectively.
With the victories, Benfica and Sevilla, which came into the game having won 12 of their past 15 games in all competitions, grabbed vital first-leg leads leaving Juventus and Valencia to try to claw back deficits next week.
According to News.com.au, Benfica, who were crowned Portuguese champions for the 33rd time recently, edged Juventus 2-1 in Lisbon with goals from Ezequiel Garay and Brazilian striker Lima despite Carlos Tevez's equaliser for the Serie A leaders with 17 minutes remaining at the Estadio do Luz.
Meanwhile, Sevilla players Stephane Mbia and Bacca hit two first-half goals to see off La Liga rivals Valencia 2-0, although the beaten side can take inspiration from their quarter-final comeback against Basel as they overturned a 3-0 deficit with a stunning 5-0 win at home in the second leg, the report added.
