Celta Vigo downs Russian raiders
Celta Vigo overcame Krasnodar as a rare strike by Hugo Mallo and Iago Aspas's 20th of the campaign booked a UEFA Europa League quarter-final spot.
Captain Hugo Mallo and top scorer Iago Aspas eased Celta Vigo into the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa League with a 2-0 win at Krasnodar.
It meant a 4-1 aggregate victory for Eduardo Berizzo's side, which put disappointing recent LaLiga form behind it to ride out pressure either side of half-time before Mallo's first goal in European competition arrived.
The full-back was one of only three players remaining from the scratch side that lost 1-0 at Villarreal on Monday (AEDT), with Berizzo's decision to prioritise continental success rewarded by a composed team performance.
A trademark Celta breakaway goal extinguished any lingering doubt 10 minutes from time, as Aspas linked smoothly with forward colleague John Guidetti to lift a crisp finish over the onrushing Andrei Sinitsyn.
Krasnodar's misery was compounded when midfielder Charles Kabore collected a second yellow card in an aerial challenge with Jozabed, meaning he exited the tournament four minutes before the rest of his team-mates.
