Sampdoria shock Sevilla to seal qualification berth

Substitute Jonathan Bottinelli struck the only goal of the game as UC Sampdoria beat Sevilla FC in Genoa to book their spot in the last 32 of the UEFA Cup and eliminate the two-time winners.

Late winner
Bottinelli bundled in Reto Ziegler's free-kick with 15 minutes remaining as Sampdoria, who had started the game two points behind Sevilla, claimed one of the three qualifying places in Group C. With VfB Stuttgart beating group winners R. Standard de Liège, the Spanish side's hopes of claiming a third UEFA Cup title in four years were shattered as they became only the second team in the five-year history of the group stage to be knocked out with six points, Rangers FC having suffered the same fate in 2004/05.

Tight opening
There was nothing to separate the two sides in the first half, although Sevilla's Andrés Palop was the slightly busier of the goalkeepers, making a couple of decent saves. His first came in the ninth minute when he dived full length to turn away Mirko Pieri's effort from the edge of the box and then, just before the break, the 35-year-old was called upon once again to deny Paolo Sammarco after clever passing had cut through the Sevilla defence.

Keepers dominant
At the other end, Luca Castellazzi made a brilliant one-handed save to tip over Luis Fabiano's powerful header in the 33rd minute. The home keeper then acrobatically palmed away Jesús Navas' curling 20-metre effort just after the break before Sammarco was once again thwarted by Palop.

Late rally
The hosts finally got the breakthrough they had been threatening as Bottinelli managed to force the ball in with his midriff following Ziegler's deflected free-kick. Sevilla laid siege to the Italian side's goal, but Diego Capel spurned their best chance when he shot wide of the far post after breaking free down the left.