JOIN USAndrea Pirlo kept Juventus on course for a home Europa League final after his superb free kick settled their battle with Italian rivals Fiorentina to send the Serie A leaders into the quarterfinals on Thursday.
Pirlo's dead-ball accuracy after 71 minutes, which saw him caress the ball high into the far right corner of the net, handed Juve a 1-0 win in Florence and a 2-1 aggregate success over a Fiore side who finished with 10 men. Juve were joined in the last eight by last season's beaten finalists Benfica, Porto, Valencia, Sevilla, Olympique Lyon, FC Basel and AZ Alkmaar.
Benfica survived a spirited fightback by Tottenham Hotspur to earn a 2-2 second-leg draw in Lisbon and go through 5-3 on aggregate while 2011 winners Porto, who sacked coach Paulo Fonseca this month, drew 2-2 at Napoli to win 3-2 on aggregate.
Sevilla overcame city rivals Real Betis 4-3 on penalties, after a 2-2 aggregate draw, while 10-man Basel ended the impressive campaign of Austria's Salzburg although their 2-1 away win, after a goalless first leg, was marred by a first-half interruption when Swiss fans threw objects on to the pitch.
This season's final will be held at the Juventus stadium in Turin on May 14, which was a huge incentive for the Italian league title holders, but Antonio Conte's side needed something special from talisman Pirlo to stay in the competition.
Needing to score after Fiore grabbed an away goal in a 1-1 first-leg draw, Juve were struggling for inspiration at the Stadio Artemio Franchi until Gonzalo Rodriguez was sent off for tripping Fernando Llorente to leave Pirlo with a sight of goal.
The Italy playmaker did not let runaway Serie A leaders Juve down, stroking a superb strike past Neto's outstretched hand. "We knew that we were going to have to fight for it, and Andrea's goal was the crowning glory of a great performance," said Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci.
Results (only second leg scores): Napoli: 2 drew with Porto 2; Real Betis: 0 lt to Sevilla: 2 (Sevilla won the tie 4-3 on penalties); Salzburg: 1 lt to Basel: 2; Benfica: 2 drew with Tottenham: 2; Fiorentina: 0 lt to Italy: 1; Valencia: 1 bt Ludogorets: 0; Viktoria Plzen: 2 bt Olympique Lyon: 1; Anzhi Makhachkala: 0 drew with AZ Alkmaar: 0.