Sevilla 4 - Athletic Bilbao 1

Sevilla: De Sanctis; Crespo, David Prieto, Mosquera, Dragutinovic; Jesús Navas, Poulsen (Maresca 67'), Renato (Keita 75'), Adriano (Diego Capel 61'); Kanouté, Koné. 4-4-2.
Athletic: Armando; Gurpegui, Aitor Ocio, Amorebieta, Koikili (Ustaritz 46'); Urko Arroyo (Iraola 46'), Javi Martínez, Garmendia, Gabilondo; Llorente (Etxeberría 61'), Aduríz. 4-4-2.

Team changes: Sevilla: De Sanctis, Crespo, Jesús Navas, Poulsen, Adriano, Koné for Palop, Daniel Alves, Fazio, Keita, Diego Capel, Luis Fabiano / Athletic: Aitor Ocio, Koikili, Urko Arroyo, Aduríz for Iraola, Ustaritz, Del Horno, Susaeta.

Goals:
0-1. 03. Aduríz (penalty). After Drago pushed over Llorente in penalty box.
1-1. 40. Kanouté. Fired shot past Armando after Kone tackled by Amorebieta.
2-1. 77. Keita. Drove long free kick past defensive wall from outside of area.
3-1. 80. Kanouté. Following up after Jesús Navas shot came back off post.
4-1. 85. Jesús Navas. Won ball back off Ustaritz and shot into near top corner.

Athletic Bilbao missed out on a place in the Intertoto Cup after losing their last match at Sevilla 4-1. The Basque side needed to win and hope that Deportivo lost against Villarreal to get past the Galicians in the table, and they started well when Aduríz converted a penalty in only the third minute. Half an hour later news came in that Depor were in fact losing, but just six minutes after that Kanouté latched on to a loose ball after Koné was tackled to beat Armando and level the scores.

Unable to catch Atlético Madrid whatever they did, the locals had nothing to play for but pride. But that was enough, and Keita came on to drill a long free kick past the keeper with a quarter of an hour left on the clock. Just three minutes later Kanouté got his second of the evening after a shot from Jesús Navas came back off the post, and Navas himself finished things off with a fourth goal near the end.

Caparrós's return to the Sánchez Pizjuán didn't go according to plan, but he appears to have built a side which can compete at this level after a couple of seasons struggling to keep up their ever present record in the top flight. Sevilla end a difficult season out of the Champions League, but they do have the consolation of the UEFA Cup, which they have already won twice in the last three years.