Real Betis ended their poor run in European round of 16 home ties in emphatic fashion, sweeping aside Panathinaikos 4-0 in the second leg at Estadio de La Cartuja to seal a 4-1 aggregate victory. A standout display from Aitor Ruibal, who registered both a goal and an assist, helped the Spanish side book their place in the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals while ending their opponents’ hopes of reaching this stage for the first time since 2003.

Despite arriving with a narrow 1-0 advantage from the first leg, Panathinaikos quickly saw their lead wiped out. Just seven minutes in, Cucho Hernandez struck from distance, his effort crashing off the crossbar and falling kindly to Ruibal, who controlled the ball expertly before firing home to level the tie.

Betis seized control from that moment and never allowed the visitors to settle. They nearly doubled their lead moments later, only for Sverrir Ingi Ingason to produce a crucial last-ditch challenge to deny Pablo Fornals from close range.

Panathinaikos struggled to find rhythm, though Andrews Tetteh showed flashes of promise. However, he wasted a golden opportunity midway through the half, shooting straight at Pau Lopez—a miss that proved costly.

On the stroke of half-time, Betis made their dominance count. Sofyan Amrabat capitalised on a loose sequence involving Ricardo Rodriguez and Renato Sanches, regaining possession before unleashing a stunning curling strike into the top-left corner past Alban Lafont.

With momentum firmly on their side, Real Betis took full control of the tie, leaving Panathinaikos with no route back as the Spanish outfit marched confidently into the quarter-finals.

Having scored more than once in just one of their previous six competitive matches, Real Betis looked determined to put the tie beyond doubt after the break—and they did exactly that.

Just eight minutes into the second half, Betis effectively sealed the result. Cucho Hernandez made a perfectly timed run to latch onto a delicate lofted pass from Marc Bartra, calmly guiding the ball past Alban Lafont to extend the lead.

The goal prompted a double substitution from Panathinaikos, but it did little to shift the momentum as the contest quickly turned one-sided.

Betis continued to dominate and, after making changes of their own, added a fourth goal that underlined the gulf in quality between the sides. Hernandez was again involved, threading a precise pass to Abde Ezzalzouli, who surged down the left with purpose.

Rather than going for goal from a tight angle, Ezzalzouli showed great composure to square the ball across the box, allowing Antony to finish with ease and cap off a superb team move.

Only a superb diving save from Alban Lafont denied Marc Roca a fifth goal with around 15 minutes remaining, while the goalkeeper again stood firm to stop Antony from adding a second after being played through one-on-one.

Despite their relentless push for a five-goal margin—a feat that would have marked their first such European knockout win since 1998—Real Betis eventually settled for four, already turning their attention to the upcoming UEFA Europa League quarter-final clash.

The Verdiblancos are set to face S.C. Braga on April 9 and 16, a tie that will see them meet one of Portugal’s strongest sides after a dominant display that ended Panathinaikos’ nine-game unbeaten run in emphatic fashion.