A brilliantly-worked Lima goal gave last year’s runners-up Benfica a late 2-1 win at home to Juventus in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final last night.

In the other semi-final, Sevilla will take a solid lead to the Mestalla next week after toppling Primera Division rivals Valencia 2-0.

Benfica seized the initiative from the off and were in front within two minutes, Miralem Sulejmani’s corner from the left picking out Ezequiel Garay, whose downward header brushed Gianluigi Buffon’s fingertips on the way into the net.

Sulejmani then shot wide after a ball from fellow-Serb Lazar Markovic, with Benfica’s tactic of using Rodrigo and Enzo Perez to neutralise the threat of Andrea Pirlo initially very successful.

Antonio Conte’s men slowly found their feet, though, the energetic Carlos Tevez forcing Benfica’s midfield to drop deeper, though Luisao and Garay did well to prevent the Argentinian, Mirko Vucinic and Paul Pogba from getting a sight of goal.

The pressure only intensified after the interval.

Artur had to be alert to his former Roma team-mate Vucinic after Pirlo floated a dangerous ball into the box, and made a fine diving save from Pogba after Claudio Marchisio had compelled him to come off his line.

Eventually, Benfica buckled. Kwadwo Asamoah got free on the left and cut the ball back for Tevez, who surged through the Benfica defence and rolled a tidy shot past Artur.

Somewhat surprisingly given the run of play, Benfica responded, Lima’s bullet shot from the edge of the box capping a swift sally up the right.

Markovic then put a shot wide from a decent position.

Benfica still needed a brilliant save by goalkeeper Artur from Claudio Marchisio to take a slender but valuable lead to Turin for next Thursday’s second leg.

If Juventus can turn the tie around, they would then enjoy the advantage of playing their final in their own stadium against Sevilla or Valencia on May 14.

In Spain, two goals in three first-half minutes, from Stephane Mbia and Carlos Bacca, settled matters at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, and gave Unai Emery the upper hand against his former team.

Sevilla, UEFA Cup winners in 2006 and 2007, headed into the game as favourites on league form, having won seven of their last eight matches in La Liga, but had yet to beat Los Che this term.

Both sides made a lively enough start to the all-Spanish affair.

Beto was the first goalkeeper to be called into action, the Sevilla stopper brilliantly parrying a 25-yard Juan Bernat blast in the 17th minute, but it was the hosts who looked the more dangerous going forward in the early stages.

Federico Fazio and Daniel Carrico headed narrowly wide from Ivan Rakitic corners, before the opener arrived on 32 minutes. Rakitic’s free-kick from the left was met by Mbia, who lashed into the top-right corner from close range.

And the home fans had hardly finished celebrating when Bacca doubled their advantage, latching onto Machin Vitolo’s pass and despatching a low shot past Vicente Guaita.

The visitors were looking determined to get at least an away goal to show for their evening’s work and finished the match on the front foot, but were unable to find a way past Beto.

Semi-finals, first legs