Europa League: Porto 0 Sevilla 1

Porto won a thrilling Europa League tie over Sevilla on away goals, despite the Spaniards claiming the second leg 1-0 on Wednesday.

The Portuguese club claimed a 2-1 away win in the opening leg of their round-of-32 encounter and, while Sevilla went ahead in the 71st minute via Luis Fabiano at the Estadio Do Dragao, they could not find an overall winner.

Porto looked to seal the tie just moments prior to the game’s only goal, when Hulk was one-on-one with Sevilla goalkeeper Javi Varas – in for the injured Andres Palop – but the Brazilian striker fired his shot wide of the right post.

Fabiano capitalised as Sevilla hit Porto on the break, and defender Alvaro Pereira’s red card in the 72nd minute for a two-footed challenge gave the Spaniards an extra man and hope of progressing to the final 16.

But the seventh-placed La Liga club almost immediately lost their numerical advantage when Alexis was shown a red card in the 77th minute, and Porto held on for an away goals victory.

Sevilla will take little solace in holding Porto scoreless for the first time in 29 matches in all competitions this season, with the Liga Sagres leaders eight points ahead of defending champions Benfica and an enormous 23 points clear of third-placed Sporting Lisbon on the table.