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Athens - Ariel Ibagaza scored one goal and set up another Tuesday to lead Villarreal into the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a 2-1 win over Panathinaikos that gave the Spanish team a 3-2 aggregate victory.
Ibagaza put his team in the lead in the 49th minute, shooting in a cross from Joan Capdevila, and later passed for substitute Joseba Llorente to score Villarreal's second goal in the 70th.
In between, Vangelis Mantzios had equalized for the Greek team by heading in a corner kick from Giorgos Karagounis in the 55th.
"The result was fair," Villarreal coach Manuel Pellegrini said. "We stuck to our attack to push down the left and take our chances as they came."
Giuseppe Rossi, who provided a constant threat throughout the match at the Olympic Stadium, started the move that led to the first goal. The American-born Italian ran the ball up the middle and then fed it wide to Capdevila, whose pass allowed Ibagaza to fire home.
"It was a tough game and a tough place to play but the timing of our goals was ideal," Ibagaza said. "The game was pretty balanced. We didn't make the most of our chances in the last game - this time it was better."
Ibagaza and Rossi were again involved in the winner, with Rossi running off to the left to draw a defender and Ibagaza passing to Llorente on the right.
In the first half, Ibagaza first put the ball past Panathinaikos goalkeeper Mario Galinovic in the 36th minute, but the goal was ruled out because of a foul.
Mantzios had a chance to give Panathinaikos the lead in the 37th, but missed a one-on-one with Villarreal goalkeeper Diego Lopez after a perfect pass from Simao put him through.
A minute later, the Panathinaikos striker had another chance but couldn't control the ball in the area.
"Our first game wasn't great and the teams were matched in the first half today," Pellegrini said. "But in the second half we really stepped up our performance."
Panathinaikos appealed for a penalty in the 67th when Fabricio Fuentes tangled with Dimitris Salpingidis in the area, but Swiss referee Massimo Busacca awarded Villarreal a goal kick.
Panathinaikos, which won at Werder Bremen and Inter Milan in the group stage, needed only a 0-0 draw to advance to the quarterfinals of the Champions League for the first time since 2002.
Villarreal reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2006.
"When you reach the last eight, you hope to make the final," Ibagaza said. "Of course that's what we want."
Ibagaza put his team in the lead in the 49th minute, shooting in a cross from Joan Capdevila, and later passed for substitute Joseba Llorente to score Villarreal's second goal in the 70th.
In between, Vangelis Mantzios had equalized for the Greek team by heading in a corner kick from Giorgos Karagounis in the 55th.
"The result was fair," Villarreal coach Manuel Pellegrini said. "We stuck to our attack to push down the left and take our chances as they came."
Giuseppe Rossi, who provided a constant threat throughout the match at the Olympic Stadium, started the move that led to the first goal. The American-born Italian ran the ball up the middle and then fed it wide to Capdevila, whose pass allowed Ibagaza to fire home.
"It was a tough game and a tough place to play but the timing of our goals was ideal," Ibagaza said. "The game was pretty balanced. We didn't make the most of our chances in the last game - this time it was better."
Ibagaza and Rossi were again involved in the winner, with Rossi running off to the left to draw a defender and Ibagaza passing to Llorente on the right.
In the first half, Ibagaza first put the ball past Panathinaikos goalkeeper Mario Galinovic in the 36th minute, but the goal was ruled out because of a foul.
Mantzios had a chance to give Panathinaikos the lead in the 37th, but missed a one-on-one with Villarreal goalkeeper Diego Lopez after a perfect pass from Simao put him through.
A minute later, the Panathinaikos striker had another chance but couldn't control the ball in the area.
"Our first game wasn't great and the teams were matched in the first half today," Pellegrini said. "But in the second half we really stepped up our performance."
Panathinaikos appealed for a penalty in the 67th when Fabricio Fuentes tangled with Dimitris Salpingidis in the area, but Swiss referee Massimo Busacca awarded Villarreal a goal kick.
Panathinaikos, which won at Werder Bremen and Inter Milan in the group stage, needed only a 0-0 draw to advance to the quarterfinals of the Champions League for the first time since 2002.
Villarreal reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2006.
"When you reach the last eight, you hope to make the final," Ibagaza said. "Of course that's what we want."
