Vitolo scored the fastest goal in UEFA Europa League history as holders Sevilla took a giant stride towards the quarter-finals with a 3-1 win at La Liga rivals Villarreal on Thursday. In an enthralling opening to the first leg of this last-16 encounter, Vitolo volleyed in his fifth goal in four games after just 13 seconds. After Luciano Vietto had hit the bar for Villarreal, a clinical Sevilla side moved further ahead through Stephane Mbia. Vietto’s close-range finish in the 48th minute gave Villarreal hope, but that was extinguished almost instantly due to Kevin Gameiro’s emphatic effort. A frustrated Marcelino was sent to the stands as his side slipped to only a second home defeat in 13 matches, while Sevilla made it three straight away wins in all competitions. Marcelino was without Giovani dos Santos and made a number of changes, with Vietto among those drafted in, while Gameiro started for Sevilla as Carlos Bacca was dropped. The visitors made a stunning start as a long ball found Gameiro and he flicked the ball into the path of Vitolo, who coolly controlled before volleying past Sergio Asenjo. In a breathless opening, the hosts should have equalised when Ikechukwu Uche’s low cross found Vietto, but he shot against the crossbar and an off-balance Denis Cheryshev could not guide the rebound on target. Cheryshev then combined neatly with Vietto before firing goalwards from 20 yards and forcing Sergio Rico into a low save. The game continued at a frantic pace, with Vicente Iborra heading at Asenjo and Vietto forcing Rico to save with his feet, and the visitors moved further ahead after 26 minutes when a left-wing cross was met by a bullet header from Mbia. Sevilla should have put the game to bed five minutes before the break, Aleix Vidal hitting the crossbar following a swift counter-attack.
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