Cedric Bakambu scored twice on Thursday night to help Villarreal reach the semi-finals of the Europa League for the first time since 2011.

Samu Castillejo and Bruno also contributed as the Spanish outfit sealed a 4-2 victory (6-3 on aggregate) over Sparta Prague, who nabbed what proved to be consolation goals through Borek Dockal and Ladislav Krejci.

Bakambu made an immediate impact in the game when he got a sniff at goal inside the first five minutes, but his shot trickled wide after latching on to a stray pass.

He made no mistake a minute later, though, as he slotted the ball home after getting on the end of Manu Trigueros's through-ball.

Despite conceding an early goal, Sparta looked comfortable and they put the visitors under pressure with some impressive build-up play.

One move ended in Ladislav Krejci with the ball inside the box, and he got a shot away, but Alphonse Areola made a stop.

Minutes later, Krejci was involved again as he found space inside the box before unleashing a shot, but his attempt fell wide of the post.

Moments in the first half were end to end as Borek Dockal's low drive forced the keeper into making a stop, while Roberto Soldado blazed a chance over the bar.

The half edged closer to Villarreal holding on to a 1-0 lead, but Castillejo and Bruno changed the shape of the game inside two minutes of one another.

Castillejo struck home in the 43rd minute after Sparta's defence failed to clear a ball into the box from Denis Suarez, and Bruno extended Villarreal's lead with a header into the far corner of the net.

After the break, Villarreal added to Sparta's woe when Bakambu nabbed his second of the night after being allowed to get into the box unmarked.

The forward managed to meet Suarez's cross before driving it into the net and taking his goal tally in this quarter-final tie to four.

The hosts were hunting for consolation goals and they came close through David Lafata when he got on the end of the ball off a corner kick, but his header drifted over the bar.

In the 65th minute, the Czech outfit managed to find the back of the net and it was through Dockal, who sent the ball low past the keeper.

The home fans began believing that their side could launch an audacious comeback when Krejci nudged the ball into the back post in the 71st minute after it was fizzed across the face of goal, but Sparta ran out of time to cause a shock result.