Draw sees Sevilla into knockout phase

AFP - 4 novembre 2009 23:10

Sevilla´s midfielder Jesus Navas celebrates after scoring against Stuttgart during their Champions League football match at Sanchez Pizjuan stadium in Seville. The match ended in a 1-1 draw.

MADRID (AFP) - Sevilla became the first Spanish side to reach the knockout phase of this season's Champions League following a 1-1 Group G draw with VfB Stuttgart at the Ramon Sanchez Pijuan stadium on Wednesday.

Sevilla saw their 100 percent record come to an end but the draw against Stuttgart was enough to put them in the next phase with two games to spare after Unirea Urziceni drew 1-1 with Rangers in the other group match.

Stand-in captain Jesus Navas netted on 14 minutes to put Sevilla ahead only for Zdravko Kuzmanovic to equalise on 79 minutes with his shot deflecting off team-mate Julian Schieber.

The draw was enough to see Sevilla qualify for the next round although they are not guaranteed top spot with Unirea five points behind with two games left.

Stuttgart, struggling in their domestic league, still have a chance of joining Sevilla in the last 16 stage lying two points behind Unirea.

Sevilla travel to Unirea Urziceni in their penultimate group match on November 24 while Stuttgart go to Ibrox to face Rangers.

With goalkeeper Andres Palop not fully fit second choice Javi Varas, who has proved an able deputy this season, started between the sticks.

Sevilla coach Manolo Jimenez was spoilt for choice in attack and opted to rest Spanish international Alvaro Negredo with a key match against Villarreal at the weekend.

Under-fire Stuttgart coach Markus Babbel had lost Mexican international Ricardo Osorio and Christian Trasch to injury so relied on old heads such as goalkeeper Jens Lehmann and Alexander Hleb.

Stuttgart had not scored in their last three matches but after two minutes had a great counter attacking chance, however, captain Thomas Hitzlsperger played a terrible pass to spoil the chance.

Sevilla heeded the warning and scored with their first real opening on 14 minutes to give the hosts a flying start.

Brazilian forward Luis Fabiano created the goal sliding the ball to Navas who dropped his shoulder before slotting past Lehmann.

Winger Navas was deputising as captain in the absence of Palop and celebrated the responsibility with a goal.

Sevilla led 1-0 at the break but Stuttgart came out stronger in the second half and twice went close to equalising.

French centre-back Sebastien Squillaci rescued Sevilla using his speed to get back and make a last ditch tackle with Pavel Pogrebnyak bearing down on goal.

Russian striker Pogrebnyak hit the crossbar minutes later as Sevilla somehow cleared their lines.

Jimenez responded by bringing on Aldo Duscher and Diego Perotti, two first teamers who started on the substitutes' bench, to try and get a foothold back in the match.

Stuttgart were pushing and got a deserved equaliser in the 79th minute when Kuzmanovic's deflected shot flew past Varas.

The visitors could have won it late on but Sevilla held on to qualify for the next phase while the two Spanish powerhouses, Barcelona and Real Madrid, still have some work to do.