Sevilla manager Unai Emery expressed satisfaction with his side's 2-1 victory at Athletic Bilbao in their Europa League quarterfinal first leg on Thursday, though he cautioned there's still 90 minutes to play in the tie.
Two-time defending champions Sevilla came from behind with second-half goals from Thimothee Kolodzieczak and Vicente Iborra to take a healthy advantage back to the Ramon Pizjuan.
The win also serves a psychological aspect, as Emery's men had yet to triumph away from home in the competition this season.
Speaking after the match, the Spaniard was measured in his praise of his team's performance.
"I'm happy with the first part of this tie where the team has competed and aimed to win, which is what we had in mind," said Emery.
"It was a very even, tough game. We leave with satisfaction, knowing that we just have 90 minutes more. We are cautious, but we have moderate satisfaction.
"We know that the next 90 minutes are going to be tough and we want to continue what we've done in this game. The tie is still 50 percent and we have to continue to compete under the same conditions."
Sevilla sit seventh place in the La Liga standings thanks largely to their poor away form this season. They are out of a Europa league place only on goal difference, and have a crucial match at Valencia on Sunday, which Emery was quick to point out despite the Bilbao win.
Emery said: "We must return to win on Sunday in Valencia. We must also continue to compete in this competition.
"The team has found its time, drawn and then we managed to win."