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Europa League, round of 16, second leg

Rubin Kazan 2 - Levante 0 (after extra time)

Spain's success this week in the Champions League has not been repeated in the Europa League, and there will be no La Liga sides in the quarter finals after sole survivors Levante were beaten 2-0 by Rubin Kazan. The Russian team had already knocked defending champions Atlético Madrid out in the last round, and after a 0-0 draw in the first leg in Valencia, they had the edge going in to the return match. The freezing conditions in Moscow though slowed things down, and neither team really created clear cut chances throughout the ninety minutes, with El Zhar and Barkero going closest for the visitors, and Natxo and Rondón bringing competent saves out of Keylor Navas at the other end later on.

The tired legs of Levante's veterans finally ran out of steam in extra time however, ex-Málaga striker Rondón getting to Natxo's cross ahead of Ballesteros to open the scoring, and substitute Dyadyun picking up a long throw from keeper Ryzhikov before shrugging off a challenge from Diop and running on to beat the keeper once again for the second. A valiant effort from Juan Ignacio Martínez's side, and they can at least say that they lasted longer in the competition than both of last season's finalists, but the longest journey in the club's history, both in footballing terms and in physical distance travelled, has sadly come to an end. (14.03.13)