Juventus overcome Sevilla to reach Champions League knockout stage

Sevilla have succumbed to a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Juventus in Tuesday night's Champions League Group H clash at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.

The hosts took the lead after just nine minutes when Nicolas Pareja showed good technique to latch on to a loose ball in the box and drilled a volley low into the bottom corner past Gianluigi Buffon.

Jorge Sampaoli's charges, however, were reduced to 10 men when, in the 36th minute, Franco Vazquez was shown a second yellow card in the space 10 minutes after clipping Sami Khedira's heel.

The visitors were given the chance to equalise on the stroke of half time when they won a penalty after Gabriel Mercado shoved Leonardo Bonucci to the ground inside the Sevilla box during a corner kick.

Claudio Marchisio stepped up and duly converted the penalty to the right-hand side as Sergio Rico, despite getting a hand to the ball, was unable to keep it out.

Sampaoli was sent to the stands after the interval for reportedly remonstrating with match referee Mark Clattenburg over the decision.

Despite Sevilla's setbacks, they still matched their opponents on the field and were level late on in the game, but ultimately their resistance gave way as Bonucci lashed home a volley from just outside the penalty area.

The hosts then tried desperately to claw back an equaliser, but they were caught out in injury time when Marchisio laid the ball off to Mario Mandzukic, who fired from close range into the bottom right corner to confirm the outcome of the game.

The result means that Juventus leapfrog Sevilla at the top of Group H with 11 points - four ahead of third-placed Lyon - and secure qualification to the last 16 of the competition, while the La Liga side are still in contention to reach the knockouts on 10 points.