Sevilla, Valencia finish goalless

Sevilla and Valencia have played to a goalless draw in La Liga this evening, with both sides finishing with 10 men on the pitch.

The visitors had a chance to break the deadlock 15 minutes into the contest. Paco Alcacer played the ball in for Eduardo Vargas, but the opportunity was cleared before the Chilean could not get his shot away.

Alcacer himself had an effort just a few minutes later, but his long-range strike drifted just wide of the Sevilla goal.

Valencia believed that they should have had a penalty towards the end of the first half when Sofiane Feghouli was brought down in the box, but Daniel Parejo appeared to handle the ball.

The visitors were reduced to 10 men early in the second half as Ricardo Costa picked up his second yellow card of the match for a handball offence.

Ivan Rakitic had a series of chances to break the deadlock for the hosts, but Diego Alves was able to frustrate the midfielder, including an opportunity from the penalty spot just after the hour mark as Juan Bernat bundled Denis Cheryshev over in the area, but Alves got the better of the Croatian again.

Sevilla looked the more likely of the two teams to find a winner in the last 20 minutes, but Alves continued to hold firm in the Valencia goal, denying Vicente Iborra, while Rakitic continued to miss the target.

As the hosts continued to try to force a winner in the final minutes of the game, Joao Pereira brought down Alberto Moreno, but the referee turned down Sevilla's appeals for a penalty.

In a desperate bid to win a spot kick, Cheryshev went down too easily in the box, earning himse;f his second yellow of the game for diving and ensuring that both sides finished a player short.

The result moves both teams back above Espanyol, with Sevilla sitting seventh and Valencia climbing to eighth.