Despite having lost key players this season Sevilla and Valencia go head-to-head in their Europa League semi-final today, underlining the enduring quality of La Liga compared to the continent’s wealthier leagues.

In tonight’s other semi-final, Carlos Tevez is set to return to Juve’s starting line-up for the first leg at Benfica.

The Argentinian striker has shaken off a muscular injury that saw him miss Juve’s last two Serie A games. Tevez, who is looking to score his first European goal since April 2009, will lead Juve’s attack at the Estadio da Luz.

There was an exodus of talent from Spain ahead of this campaign with many players going to the Premier League as clubs other than powerhouses Real Madrid and Barcelona, fought to control spiralling debts.

Despite fears of a deterioration in quality, however, they still possess four teams in the semi-finals of Europe’s top two competitions.

While all attention this week was first on Madrid in the Champions League with Atletico and Real hosting Chelsea and Bayern Munich respectively, today it switches to Sevilla where the Andalusian side take on Valencia.

It has been a difficult season of change for Sevilla but after a slow start where there was mounting pressure on coach Unai Emery, the side has responded since Christmas and now they boast nine wins from 10 games in La Liga and are still pushing for a Champions League place.

Manchester City-bound Alvaro Negredo and Jesus Navas were among those who left the club and it took time for Emery to knit together a new side with so many fresh faces.

The team is built around the skills of midfielder Ivan Rakitic while on-loan signings from England, Stephane Mbia and Daniel Carrico, from QPR and Reading respectively, have given them solidity.

“I don’t like to make judgments at the moment because the best is still to come: the most enjoyable and the most difficult. We will continue on the same lines and clearly in Europe is where everyone wants to be,” Emery told reporters.

Valencia’s season has been more inconsistent and disappointing performances, which led to the departure of Miroslav Djukic, have at times been overshadowed by their crippling debts.

The Europa League gives Valencia the possibility to rescue a disappointing season domestically.

“We play every game to win it for the badge, because Valencia is a great club and you have to fight each game as though it is the last,” midfielder Sofiane Feghouli said.

“It would be fantastic for us to reach the final and we will try and have a good game in Sevilla first.”

Tevez’s presence is a boost for Juve coach Antonio Conte, who must do without pivotal midfielder Arturo Vidal, who is ruled out of the encounter in Lisbon with a knee injury.

Juventus travel to Portugal on the back of Saturday’s 1-0 triumph over Bologna that saw them take one step closer to their third straight Italian title.

However, Conte has warned his players to expect a stern test today.

“Benfica are very strong team that is winning in Portugal,” he said.

“They have won the league, the Portuguese Cup and they are in the semi-finals of the Europa League. They are having an extraordinary campaign and this just proves the strength of this side.

“I hope we can have the best Juve because we are facing a truly strong team that has bounced back from last season’s disappointment of losing the league, the Copa and the Europa League in one week.”

Buoyant Benfica

Benfica, last season’s runners-up in the competition, head into the contest in seventh heaven after sealing their 33rd league title.

“Having lost three finals last season, we knew that we had to repeat the good things we had done but with different endings,” Benfica president Luis Filipe Vieira said.

“I knew that the future would eventually compensate us for what happened last year. Last Sunday we started to re-write our history and we hope we can continue to do so.”

Benfica coach Jorge Jesus will be without Eduardo Salvio for the encounter, with the Argentinian attacking midfielder having fractured a bone in his arm.

Benfica are unbeaten at home this season in all competitions.

Semi-finals, first legs