Carlos Bacca opened the scoring for Sevilla with a penalty in the first half. Hulk and Salomon Rondon scored for Zenit and the match appeared to be headed for extra time, but Kevin Gameiro scored the second goal for Sevilla and allowed the Spaniards to advance to the next round of the UEFA Europa League.
After the 2-1 result in the first leg, Sevilla had a small advantage heading into this contest but it didn't look like that in the first minutes since the Spaniards tried to move the ball forward constantly looking push into the final third. They managed to create the first chance in the fifth minute, and after an interesting run towards the box, Neto tripped Vitolo and Sevilla were awarded a penalty - Carlos Bacca stepped in front of the ball and placed it into the top left corner to put the visitors ahead.
Zenit moved their lines forward but they weren't very threatening. Danny had a good chance to score in the 21st minute but Beto parried the ball away. Aside from that opportunity, the Russian side weren't able to create many chances in the final third. Sevilla were forced to make a first-half substitution when Vicente Iborra replaced Nico Pareja due to an injury. The rest of the first half proved to be quite slow-paced, and even though Zenit had most of the possession, their lack of ideas in the final third was alarming.
Things changed in the second half as Zenit played with a more aggressive approach and the strategy paid off instant dividends as they equalized only three minutes into the second half. A cross from the left flank was parried by Beto, but Salomon Rondon was on hand to pounce on the rebound to nod the ball home.
Zenit's early goal in the second half lifted their spirit and the Russian side took control of the tie thanks to Hulk. The Brazilian winger started to create havoc on the right flank and created two clear chances to score. He sent a ball inches wide of the left post in the 53th minute and then he placed another shot wide from the right spot in the 67th. However, the third one would be the charm as Hulk scored one of the most beautiful goal of the season with a spectacular strike from 35 yards in the 72nd minute. The former FC Porto star laced a lobbed shot that ended getting between the posts despite Beto's efforts to clear it away.
It seemed like the game was going to be decided in extra time but Unai Emery had one more ace up his sleeve, and sent Kevin Gaimero to the pitch to replace Carlos Bacca. The substitution wasn't understood at the time as Bacca had been the team's most dangerous player and Zenit were constantly generating chances.
Against all odds, Emery's change paid off with only five minutes left to go. Vitolo moved the ball up the left flank and sent a low pass to the left side of the box, where Kevin Gameiro only had to control and shoot. His low effort went straight into the left bottom corner and sent the visiting fans into raptures, as Zenit were left needing to score two goals in the last five minutes to avoid elimination.
Sevilla secured a place in the semi-finals as they continue their quest to retain their Europa League title. They are now in the top four and will wait to know their rival on Friday but one thing is certain and is that they certainly are one of the top teams left in the draw.