Sevilla 3 - Barcelona 2

Sevilla: Palop; Daniel Alves, Escudé, Aitor Ocio, Dragutinovic; Fernando Sales (Jesús Navas 54'), Jordi (Martí 46'), Renato, Antonio Puerta (Adriano 54'); Kepa, Kanouté. 4-4-2.
Barcelona: Jorquera; Belletti, Oleguer (Iniesta 46'), Rodri, Sylvinho (Ludovic 64'); Gabri, Xavi, Motta; Larsson (Montañés 70'), Maxi López, Ezquerro. 4-3-3.

Team changes: Sevilla: Daniel Alves, Dragutinovic, Kanouté for Crespo, Jesús Navas, Jesuli / Barça: Rodri, Gabri, Motta, Maxi López, Ezquerro for Puyol, Edmilson, Deco, Eto'o, Ronaldinho.

Goals:
1-0. 22. Alves. Picked up Renato's return pass and fired shot wide of Jorquera..
2-0. 24. Aitor Ocio (penalty). After Belletti tackled Antonio Puerta from behind.
2-1. 40. Ezquerro. Got on end of Belletti's cross to steer header wide of Palop.
2-2. 41. Sylvinho. Cross from left touch line which Palop saved over line.
3-2. 75. Kepa. Diving header down past keeper from Martí's corner.

Sevilla kept their hopes of Champions League football alive with a 3-2 win over an unrecognisable Barcelona side in their match which had been postponed from last month after a rainstorm left the pitch unplayable. A massive crowd turned up to welcome their heroes after their epic UEFA cup final win, and there was a double "tunnel" as the players came on to the pitch, Barça first applauding on their opponents and then Sevilla repaying the favour in honour of the Catalan side's league title. The visitors were just four days away from their own final in the Champions League against Arsenal though, and Rijkaard left most of his stars at home and included several B team players in his squad.

Even so Barcelona were on top early on, with Ezquerro going close twice and Maxi López shooting at Palop after working a 1-2 with Larsson. But midway through the first half Sevilla struck twice in just over a minute, Daniel Alves firing an unstoppable shot past Jorquera and Ocio adding a second from the penalty spot after referee Teixeira Vitienes ruled that Belletti had fouled Antonio Puerta, even though he appeared to play the ball.

Shortly before half time though Barça themselves scored twice in quick succession, Maxi passing in for Belletti to find Ezquerro with a pinpoint cross, and then Sylvinho catching out Palop with a cross-cum-shot which the keeper could only push out from inside the goal. The players' protests died down when Martí sportingly confirmed to his team mates and the officials that the ball had in deed crossed the line.

The first chance after the interval fell to Maxi, although he was unable to take advantage near to goal. A few minutes later Kepa got the ball in to the net only to have the strike ruled out for a dubious offside, and Maxi shot over the bar once again at the other end. Rijkaard gave a run out to youngsters Ludovic and Montañés, but soon afterwards Sevilla regained the lead when Kepa found space to head Martí's corner past Jorquera.

The visitors were left with ten men in the last minute when Gabri was sent off for insulting a linesman, but the final whistle went soon afterwards and Sevilla had won their sixth game in a row. They now have to beat Real Madrid and need Valencia to get a result at Osasuna to take the last Champions League place and round off their best season in over fifty years. And all this in the year of their centenary!