Athletic Bilbao are in their first European final for 35 years after beating Sporting Lisbon 3-1 in an exhilarating contest at San Mames.
Basque side progress to Europa League final
Athletic Bilbao are in their first European final for 35 years after beating Sporting Lisbon 3-1 in an exhilarating contest at San Mames.
The Basque side turned around a one-goal deficit from the first leg to win the semi-final 4-3 on aggregate and set up a Europa League final with Atletico Madrid in Bucharest.
Both sides had chances to win, with the game played at an astonishing pace throughout.
And it was appropriate that it was Athletic's talisman Fernando Llorente who prodded home with just minutes remaining to send San Mames into rapturous delight.
Markel Susaeta had given Athletic the lead early in the first-half after Llorente cleverly chested the ball into his team-mate's path inside the Sporting penalty area.
Electric
At that stage it seemed as though the electric atmosphere inside the stadium was set to overwhelm the visitors.
But Sporting recovered well with Anderson Polga forcing a smart save from Gorka Iraizoz, before Ricky van Wolfswinkel silenced the home crowd with a cleanly struck 43rd minute equaliser.
The response from Marcelo Bielsa's side was swift and Ibai Gomez put Athletic back in front on the night and level on aggregate when he took advantage of Llorente's delicious drag-back pass.
The second half saw both teams hit the woodwork as a Javi Martinez header struck the upright for Athletic before Sporting's Emiliano Insua drilled a left-footed effort against the post from distance.
And just when it looked as though the game was heading for extra-time, Llorente prodded home to break Portuguese hearts.
Nervous
Conscious that an early goal for Sporting could spell the end of their chances, the home side started nervously and Matias Fernandez fired a free-kick over the bar for the visitors in the seventh minute.
Llorente brought the first save out of Sporting keeper Rui Patricio in the ninth minute with a left-foot shot, then Iker Muniain saw his effort from six yards blocked by Sporting's Alexandre Xandao.
Patricio saved from Ibai as Bilbao began to press, but the hosts' pressure finally told in the 17th minute when Susaeta rifled a left-foot shot high into the net after a short pass from Llorente.
Sporting almost responded through Fernandez, who had a shot blocked in the net, while Bruno Pereirinha should have done better from close quarters, before Polga forced a fingertip save out of home keeper Iraizoz.
The home side had chances of their own with Patricio tipping a Llorente effort round the post, before Sporting put themselves back in control of the tie two minutes before the break when Van Wolfswinkel fired home from the centre of the box.
The visitors' lead lasted less than three minutes as Athletic Club levelled the aggregate scores three minutes later when Ibai drilled a low shot past Patricio after being set up by the ever-present Llorente.
In an exciting start to the second half, Patricio tipped over a shot from Susaeta and a Martinez header hit the post, before Insua came close at the other end with a drilled shot which Iraizoz tipped round the post.
Polga's long-range effort was easily held by Iraizoz and the game looked to be heading for extra-time when Ibai crossed from the left side of the penalty area and Llorente fired home to send Bilbao to the final.
