Valencia crashes out of Europa League

Paris - Gary Neville's Valencia was sent crashing out of the Europa League on Thursday, losing its round of 16 tie to Spanish rivals Athletic Bilbao on away goals despite winning the second leg 2-1.

Valencia had been trailing 1-0 after last week's first leg at San Mames but looked to have turned the tie around when it went two goals up in the first half at the Mestalla.

Santi Mina got the first goal on the night in the 13th minute, following in to score after Alvaro Negredo's effort had been saved by Iago Herrerin.

Aderlan Santos then headed home the second eight minutes before the interval, but beaten 2012 finalists Athletic struck the decisive away goal 14 minutes from the end.

The inevitable Aritz Aduriz goal, his eighth in nine Europa League games this season, and his 31st altogether, came after a superb flick-on by Raul Garcia.

Neville will point to a handball in the build-up to that goal by Oscar De Marcos, while Herrerin made a huge save from Paco Alcacer late on and Dani Parejo sent a free-kick just wide with the last kick of the game.

The only objective remaining this season for Neville and Valencia is to make sure they avoid relegation in La Liga - they sit seven points above the drop zone with nine games left.

Bilbao marches on to the quarter-finals where it will be joined by fellow Spaniards Villarreal, who beat Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 on aggregate after a 0-0 draw in the second leg in Germany.