Sevilla retain UEFA Cup

Sevilla, which is proudly sponsored by 888.com, won a penalty shoot-out yesterday to lift the UEFA Cup for the second successive season on a heartbreaking night for Espanyol.
When a long-range equaliser by Brazilian substitute Jonatas levelled the match at 2-2 at the end of extra-time, the script appeared to have been written for Barcelona's lesser-known club to clinch their first European trophy after playing for almost an hour with 10 men.
But it was not to be, Sevilla winning an edgy shoot-out 3-1.
The outcome was hard on the Catalans, who had defied the odds to equalise for a second time with five minutes of extra-time to play.
After the 90 minutes had finished with the sides tied at 1-1, Fredi Kanoute's strike appeared to have killed the contest.
But the Andalucians were left stunned when Jonatas let fly from 25 yards and found the bottom corner to send the match to penalties.
It was a goal from nowhere, but no more than Espanyol deserved on a night when they had looked to be on track for victory until they had midfielder Moises Hurtado sent off with just over 20 minutes of regulation time remaining.
Up until then, Espanyol had looked the more likely winners, despite requiring a 28th-minute strike from Albert Riera to cancel out a stunning opening goal by Sevilla's Brazilian midfielder Adriano.
Sevilla's status as short odds favourites to overcome opponents struggling in the bottom half of La Liga was justified by an opening in which Enzo Maresca fired narrowly over the angle of bar and post and Freddie Kanoute went close with a near post header.
Espanyol soon provided a reminder of the dangers of complacency however, after Hurtado was allowed to advance unchecked from midfield to inside 30 yards of goal. The midfielder's drive skidded treacherously off the sodden Hampden turf and Andres Palop did well to gather it low to his right.
With Raul Tamudo jinking to the byline immediately afterwards, Espanyol suddenly looked the more dangerous of the two sides, but their momentum was about to be halted in exhilarating fashion by Adriano.
The corner that Tamudo had won was gathered cleanly by Palop, who immediately sent Adriano racing clear down the left with a huge throw of immaculate accuracy.
The Brazilian's gear changes were too much for a short-staffed Catalan back four and he was unchallenged as he cut into the box and placed a right-foot finish beyond the hopelessly-exposed Gorka Iraizoz and into the far corner.
The brutal simplicity of the goal appeared to underline the perceived gulf in class between the two sides.
Yet within ten minutes, Riera had put Espanyol back on level terms, albeit with the help of a deflection off the boot of Liverpool target Daniel Alves.
Riera had gone past the centreback with ease, cutting in from the left flank, but his hesitation allowed the defender to recover his ground sufficiently to get a touch on the ball, ensuring Palop could not get enough of a contact to push it round the post.
Sevilla hauled Maresca off at half-time to allow Jesus Navas to ply his tricks down the right flank, but it was Espanyol who displayed the greater appetite for victory. (AFP)