Sevilla 2 - Stuttgart 0

Sevilla: Palop; Konko, Escudé, Squillaci, Fernando Navarro; Fazio, Romaric; Jesús Navas (Fernando 75'), Renato (Maresca 62'), Adriano; Acosta (De Mul 21'). 4-2-3-1.
Stuttgart: Lehmann; Boka (Rudy 74'), Pardo, Hitzlsperger, Boulahrouz; Magnin, Laning (Elson 57'), Hilbert, Delpierre; Mario Gómez, Träsch (Marica 46'). 4-4-2.

Goals:
1-0. 15. Romaric. Struck free kick from left of area over wall and in to far corner.
2-0. 16. Renato. Dived forward to head Konko cross past Lehmann near to goal.

Sevilla got off to a good start in their mini-league with a 2-0 victory over their strongest rivals, Stuttgart. With his four first choice strikers still out, Acosta repeated at centre forward, but even he pulled up with an injury midway through the first half, leaving the side without an orthodox front man.

By then though they were already two up, Romaric opening the scoring with an impressive free kick on the quarter hour mark, and Renato heading in a Konko cross a minute later, getting a boot in the face from ex Arsenal keeper Lehmann for his pains.

The German side could have scored after the break, Mario Gómez in particular failing to beat Palop a couple of times. But the local keeper held fast for his eighth clean sheet in a row, and Sevilla are on track for another good campaign in a competition they have already won twice in recent years.