Real Madrid and Barcelona may have been dispatched from Europe’s top table, but the Europa League remains firmly in Iberian control.

All eight of the semi-finalists over the past two seasons have hailed from the peninsula. It was Porto who beat Braga in last year’s all Portuguese final, but this term the glory will cross the border to Spain when Athletic Bilbao and Atletico Madrid travel to Romania on May 9th.

For Atletico, it will be the chance to win back the title they claimed two seasons ago with victory over Fulham, though overcoming the Basques will be no easy task. Marco Bielsa’s team have thrilled onlookers over the course of their European run, Thursday night’s semi-final second leg being no exception.

Sporting Lisbon may have had the 2-1 advantage from the first leg, but Bilbao had the away goal, knowing that scoring an unanswered strike would see them through to the final. Fernando Llorente, the lynchpin of Athletic’s forward line, was hustling from the start; twice a first touch off the chest and a second to turn had the home support on their haunches, but a scuffed effort and dramatic flop to the turf left them quickly returning to their seats, though they were soon rising again.

Llorente’s broad chest was as active as any participant, earning an assist when cushioning Iker Munain’s right wing cross for Markel Susaeta to volley past Rui Patricio.

But just as they had done seven days earlier, Sporting’s riposte to falling behind was swift. A long range costless kick from Matias Fernandez was nothing more than a half chance, though the same could not be said of Bruno Pereirinhas’ costless header, a gilt-edged opportunity wasted from a fine Diego Capel cross.

The Bilbao advantage was slender and the consensus was that a second was required. Ibai Gomez had the ball in the net, but fell foul of the offside flag. When one of his dynamic runs did get the better of the Sporting backline, he failed to connect.

Already Athletic’s European top-scorer with six, Llorente was on the hunt for more, though once again failed to get a clean strike, allowing Rui Patricio enough time to push his tame volley round the post.

There was no time for the packed San Mames to catch its breath, yet even by the standards on display the first half finale was spectacular. The Portuguese snatched an away goal of their own when Ricky van Wolfswinkel drove home from the edge of the area, but that only poked the Bilbao bear.

Not only deadly in front of goal, Llorente provided further evidence of his all round game. 20 yards from goal the Spain international received the ball and made a yard of space with a delicious drag-back to find Ibai, who levelled the aggregate score at three apiece with the last action of the first half.

Even the break could not quell the flow. Susaeta forced an outstanding save from Rui Patricio, and from Ibai’s resulting corner Llorente powered a header against an upright, a feat matched three minutes later by a daisy cutting 35 yard Emiliano Insua drive at the other end.

Despite Ricardo Sa Pinto making eight changes to the side that scraped past Nacional on Sunday, Athletic were showing the greater energy and urgency as the latter stages approached.

It seemed that Llorente was destined not to score, Rui Patricio comfortably held another effort, while Anderson Polga diverted away a cross moments before the 27-year-old’s diving forehead could connect.

Destiny, however, means nothing to Athletic; they had already conquered Manchester United, and came from behind four times against Schalke in the quarter-finals. Llorente it was who smashed the Sporting dream with two minutes left to play, prodding between Rui Patricio and the near post following Ibai’s wizardry to send Bilbao through to the Bucharest showpiece.