Spain's Villarreal and Portugal's Porto moved closer to a meeting in the Europa League last four with 5-1 victories in quarter-final first-leg matches Thursday.
Villarreal thrashed Dutch champions FC Twente to set up a likely semi-final against Porto who trounced Spartak Moscow by the same 5-1 scoreline with a hat-trick from Radamel Falcao.
Portugal's other two sides in the competition are also well placed to advance ahead of next Thursday's second legs.
Benfica overcame the second Dutch representative, PSV Eindhoven, 4-1, while Sporting Braga earned a 1-1 draw at Dynamo Kiev who had striker Andriy Shevchenko sent off.
For the first time in UEFA Cup or Europa League history, no teams from England, Italy, Germany or France were featured.
But Spain are likely to have a team in the semis after Villarreal gave themselves a four-goal cushion over Twente.
First-half goals from Carlos Marchena, Borja Valero and Nilmar paved the way before Giuseppe Rossi struck after the break and Nilmar belted in his second.
Marchena headed the yellows in front in the 22nd minute from a corner before Valero in the 43rd and Nilmar with a header just before the break put the home side well in charge.
Italian striker Rossi scored with a looping left-foot shot from outside the area 10 minutes after the interval to take his tally in the competition to nine, and Nilmar drove in a fifth from outside the box with 10 minutes remaining.
The one blot for the Spanish side was conceding a stoppage time goal when Marco Janko netted for the visitors.
Porto looked comfortable against Spartak thanks to a 38th-minute diving header from Falcao and goals in the 65th minute from Silvestre Varela and Maicon in the 70th.
The Russian side gave themselves hope for the second leg when Kirill Kombarov pulled one back a minute later, but Falcao struck again with six minutes remaining and completed his hat-trick two minutes into stoppage time.
The Colombia striker now has 10 goals in the competition, overtaking previous top scorer Rossi.
Eduardo Salvio scored two goals for Benfica in a 3-1 victory over PSV. Pablo Aimar opened the scoring in the 37th minute before Salvio struck just on half-time and netted again seven minutes after the break.
PSV got a goal back when Zakaria Labyad swept the ball over the line from close range with 10 minutes left, but Javier Saviola made it four deep into stoppage time.
Dynamo Kiev lost Shevchenko just after the hour when the veteran striker was sent off following two quick yellow cards - the second for scoring after the whistle had gone - in a 1-1 draw with Braga.
Shevchenko came off the substitutes' bench at half time and was booked after six minutes.
He then was shown a second yellow card 11 minutes later when he played on after an offside whistle, rounded the keeper and netted. The 34-year-old Ukrainian protested he had not heard the whistle and walked off shaking his head.
Andriy Ermolenko had headed the home side in front, but the visitors levelled with an Oleg Gusyev own goal following a corner eight minutes later.
Villarreal thrashed Dutch champions FC Twente to set up a likely semi-final against Porto who trounced Spartak Moscow by the same 5-1 scoreline with a hat-trick from Radamel Falcao.
Portugal's other two sides in the competition are also well placed to advance ahead of next Thursday's second legs.
Benfica overcame the second Dutch representative, PSV Eindhoven, 4-1, while Sporting Braga earned a 1-1 draw at Dynamo Kiev who had striker Andriy Shevchenko sent off.
For the first time in UEFA Cup or Europa League history, no teams from England, Italy, Germany or France were featured.
But Spain are likely to have a team in the semis after Villarreal gave themselves a four-goal cushion over Twente.
First-half goals from Carlos Marchena, Borja Valero and Nilmar paved the way before Giuseppe Rossi struck after the break and Nilmar belted in his second.
Marchena headed the yellows in front in the 22nd minute from a corner before Valero in the 43rd and Nilmar with a header just before the break put the home side well in charge.
Italian striker Rossi scored with a looping left-foot shot from outside the area 10 minutes after the interval to take his tally in the competition to nine, and Nilmar drove in a fifth from outside the box with 10 minutes remaining.
The one blot for the Spanish side was conceding a stoppage time goal when Marco Janko netted for the visitors.
Porto looked comfortable against Spartak thanks to a 38th-minute diving header from Falcao and goals in the 65th minute from Silvestre Varela and Maicon in the 70th.
The Russian side gave themselves hope for the second leg when Kirill Kombarov pulled one back a minute later, but Falcao struck again with six minutes remaining and completed his hat-trick two minutes into stoppage time.
The Colombia striker now has 10 goals in the competition, overtaking previous top scorer Rossi.
Eduardo Salvio scored two goals for Benfica in a 3-1 victory over PSV. Pablo Aimar opened the scoring in the 37th minute before Salvio struck just on half-time and netted again seven minutes after the break.
PSV got a goal back when Zakaria Labyad swept the ball over the line from close range with 10 minutes left, but Javier Saviola made it four deep into stoppage time.
Dynamo Kiev lost Shevchenko just after the hour when the veteran striker was sent off following two quick yellow cards - the second for scoring after the whistle had gone - in a 1-1 draw with Braga.
Shevchenko came off the substitutes' bench at half time and was booked after six minutes.
He then was shown a second yellow card 11 minutes later when he played on after an offside whistle, rounded the keeper and netted. The 34-year-old Ukrainian protested he had not heard the whistle and walked off shaking his head.
Andriy Ermolenko had headed the home side in front, but the visitors levelled with an Oleg Gusyev own goal following a corner eight minutes later.
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