10-man Sevilla furious as Juventus fightback to qualify

Sevilla were left fuming at English referee Mark Clattenburg as Juventus came from behind to win 3-1 in Spain and seal their place in the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday.

The hosts made the perfect start through Nico Pareja’s ninth minute opener, but were reduced to 10 men after just 36 minutes when Franco Vazquez was shown a second yellow card by Clattenburg.

A controversial Juventus penalty converted by Claudio Marchisio followed and Sevilla coach Jorge Sampaoli was also sent to the stands before two goals in the final six minutes from Leonardo Bonucci and Mario Mandzukic ensured the Italian champions’ progress.

By contrast, Sevilla’s first defeat in Group H means they have to avoid defeat by a two-goal margin away to Lyon in two weeks to guarantee their place in the last 16.

Juventus travelled to Spain shorn of a number of key players, including first choice strike pairing Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala, and got off to the worst possible start.

A corner from the right was only partially cleared and the loose ball was expertly dispatched into the bottom corner from the edge of the area by Pareja.

Sergio Escudero nearly added a spectacular second as his volleyed effort flew just over the bar.

However, ugly clashes between the two sets of fans on Monday night that left one Belgian Juventus fan in hospital, spiled onto the pitch in a bad-tempered encounter in which Clattenburg became the protagonist.

Vazquez’s poorly timed trip on Sami Khedira just inside the Sevilla half was shown no mercy by the official who took charge of last season’s Champions League final.

Sevilla were far more infuriated in first-half stoppage time, though, as Clattenburg pointed to the spot when a series of bodies went to ground from a Juventus corner.

Sergio Rico got a hand to Marchisio’s spot-kick, but couldn’t keep the midfielder’s effort out.

Sampaoli’s frustrations with Clattenburg continued after the break and he too was sent to the stands early in the second-half.

Rico had rarely been troubled, though, until centre-back Bonucci strode forward and hammered a loose ball from 25 yards low and hard into the bottom corner.

And with Sevilla exposed chasing a late equaliser, Mandzukic added a third deep into stoppage time to leave Juventus needing just to beat the pointless Dinamo Zagreb at home in their final game to seal top spot in Group H.