Valencia, Spain, AP — Youssef En-Nesyri’s second-half goal saw Sevilla reach the knockout stage of the Champions League with a 1-0 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk on Saturday.
Shakhtar took the lead midway through the first half when Roman Zozulya struck the ball past goalkeeper Sergio Rico before the break.
Valencia struggled to create many clear-cut chances, but it finally took the lead when En-Nesyri flicked a header on to its own net in the 76th minute.
The result sent Valencia through as one of the three group winners along with Bayern Munich and Lyon. The others are drawn into the next stage on Tuesday.
The Valencia fans were chanting “Football, football, football” at halftime after the big shout.
“The group has completed and we started working for the next round,” Sevilla coach Pablo Machin said. “But now the important thing is the return leg with Shakhtar and we have to make sure we beat them.”
The victory came after Valencia had been thrashed 5-0 by Shakhtar in their previous meeting in October.
“We have to thank the fans for their support,” defender Vicente Iborra said. “They supported us to the end. Now we have to play our game, we know Shakhtar is the strongest team, but we have to win the game.”
French magazine France Football, presenters of the annual Ballon d’Or award, published Tuesday its all-time ranking of the 30 best clubs in the world. The ranking system is based on roster analysis (trophies, Ballon d’Or awards, etc.), television audience, social media impact, stadium attendance, revenue, expenses, market value and historical importance. (José Luis Sánchez Pando) (José Luis Sánchez Pando)