Sevilla hold on to see off Malaga

Sevilla have ended their season with a 3-2 victory over Malaga at La Rosaleda, but they have been made to settle for a fifth-place finish in La Liga.

Results elsewhere this evening mean that the visiting side's victory counted for little, although they can still claim a place in next season's Champions League should they win the upcoming Europa League final.

A mazy run from Cardiff City loanee Javi Guerra almost led to the contest's opening goal, but his strike was well kept out by Sergio Rico between the sticks.

Weligton was then shown a straight red for his challenge on Kevin Gameiro with just 26 minutes of the game gone, leaving Malaga down to 10 men for the remainder.

Both Juanmi and Vicente Iborra came close to making a breakthrough for their sides in the first half, although some solid defending halted both men in their tracks.

It was Sevilla who took the game by the scruff of the neck, scoring two goals in quick succession shortly after the restart to race 2-0 ahead.

Jose Antonio Reyes bagged the first, coolly latching onto Coke's pass and rounding the goalkeeper to tuck the ball home, before Ever Banega curled home a sublime second to put Los Rojiblancos in command.

The match was put beyond Malaga's reach when Aleix Vidal raced onto a pass inside the box to calmly slot home another and, while Guerra did set up a grandstand finish with two strikes, there was to be no dramatic comeback from the visitors.