There were notable victories for Valencia, Fiorentina and Dortmund as the UEFA Europa League round of 32 contenders focused on matters closer to home before Thursday’s second legs.
So long without a Liga win, Valencia coach Gary Neville has now overseen two in a row. Fresh from beating Espanyol and a joint record 6-0 defeat of Rapid Wien in midweek, Los Che again suggested their fortunes might be changing with a 2-1 success at struggling Granada. A hint of momentum also returned for Fiorentina, who grabbed a second consecutive league victory – for the first time since 6 January – to bolster their hold on third spot in Serie A.
In Germany, …