Ten-man Athletic Bilbao beat Lokomotiv Moscow 1-0 on Thursday to scrape past the Russians 2-2 on the away-goals rule and advance to the last 16 of the Europa League.
Iker Muniain’s 63rd-minute tap-in was enough for the hosts, who now play Ajax or Manchester United in the next round.
Athletic defender Fernando Amorebieta had been sent off minutes before the goal after bringing down Roman Shishkin as the Lokomotiv midfielder burst past him.
Lokomotiv had the better of a cagey first half that yielded few clear chances. Speculative early efforts from Lokomotiv striker Felipe Caicedo signaled the visitors’ intent before Javi Martinez blazed over from a corner for Athletic.
The best chance of the first half came on the stroke of half-time, as Renat Yanbaev beat two Athletic defenders near the corner flag before swinging in a cross that Athletic goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz almost spilled for the waiting Caicedo.
Striker Fernando Llorente was prominent for Athletic early in the second half, looping a soft header into the arms of Lokomotiv goalkeeper Guilherme, before minutes later knocking the goalkeeper over the line while he was holding the ball. Llorente attempted to claim a goal, but it was immediately ruled a foul.
The breakthrough came shortly after Amorebieta received his second yellow card for a cynical foul.
Shishkin saved Lokomotiv by blocking Ander Herrera’s fierce shot, only for the Moscow side to concede from the resulting corner.
Inigo Perez curled the ball in for Llorente, who flicked it on, and Muniain stretched for a simple finish at the far post.
Lokomotiv brought on two strikers, fan favorite Dmitry Sychev and former West Ham United player Victor Obinna, in an attempt to break the deadlock.
A spell of sustained Lokomotiv pressure five minutes from time ended feebly when Denis Glushakov fired high and wide from outside the area, before Manuel da Costa failed to find the target in the visitors’ last attack.
