Fenerbahce booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League by beating Sevilla 3-2 on penalties in a thriller at the Sanchez Pizjuan.

Having conceded two away goals in the first leg, Fenerbahce had their work cut out when they found themselves 2-0 down and 4-3 behind on aggregate after just 10 minutes.

But, despite conceding a third just before the interval, the Turkish side got themselves back into the match with two away goals of their own to make it 5-5 on aggregate and force extra time.

With both sides having failed to score during extra time, the match went to penalties and keeper Volkan Demirel, a liability in the first half of normal time, saved three penalties to put Fener through to the last eight for the first time in their history.

Sevilla, who had lost only three games at home this season, looked positive from the start with Diego Capel in particular running riot on the left wing and causing Gokhan Gonul problems.

UEFA Cup winners the past two seasons, Sevilla quickly made that confidence tell with Daniel Alves taking full advantage of a shocking error from Demirel.

Seydou Keita was hauled back by Selcuk Sahin in front of goal, the Turk receiving a yellow card for his troubles, with Alves stepping up to the free kick with confidence.

The Spaniard produced a solid contact from 25 yards out but it was Volkan's mistake, palming what should have been a straightforward save into the back of his own net, that saw the effort result in a goal.

Just four minutes later and Sevilla had a second goal, which again was due in no small part to an error from Volkan. Keita spotted the Turk off his line and, deciding to try his luck from an almost identical spot to Alves's free kick, thumped the ball goalward.

While Keita's shot was on target, again it was Volkan's nonchalant jump up to the shot, and attempted slap away, that saw the ball end up in the back of the net.

But Fenerbahce, looking down and out with only 10 minutes on the clock, somehow managed to get themselves back in the game and had their own goal to celebrate in the 20th minute when the Sevilla defence suffered their own lapse in concentration.

Mehmet Aurelio's corner, after Fabiano was forced to hack the ball away in defence, fell kindly for an unmarked Deivid who fired the ball though a crowd of players and into the back of the net.

Fenerbahce's goal seemed to revitalise Sevilla with first Keita and then Frederic Kanoute having great chances to restore their two goal lead as Volkan continued to look fragile in goal.

Sure enough, Kanoute did give Sevilla the perfect lift just before half-time, cushioning an Alves cross on his chest before turning and volleying the ball right-footed towards the goal. The shot took a deflection off the foot of Gokhan on the way through but Volkan was already on the ground with no chance of making the save as he watched the ball into the back of his net.

Despite the late goal, Sevilla did not finish the half on the attack as Cristian Poulson was forced to clear off his own line from Mateja Kezman, when Andres Palop found himself stranded.

Fenerbahce looked much more positive right from the start of the second half with Alex and Aurelio both testing Palop and the increasingly nervy Sevilla back four.

Alves also came perilously close to repeating his first-half free-kick goal with Volkan failing to move at all and watching helplessly as the ball just drifted a yard past the right post.

But Fenerbahce were always the stronger second-half team and fully deserved their second goal which came when Aurelio's free kick was allowed to drift through to Deivid, who was loitering at the right post. The Brazilian's first shot bounced off the post but he was waiting to tap home at the second attempt.

But the drama was still not done with both sides enjoying one final chance each to finish it in normal time.

Ugur Boral saw his 30-yard shot drop just wide of the right post in the 89th minute before Kanoute failed to bring the ball under control quick enough to unleash a shot from six yards out two minutes later.

With the players tiring rapidly, extra time was surprisingly disappointing and while both sides created a couple of chances each no-one really looked like scoring, making penalties a reality almost from the start.

Hosts Sevilla opted to shoot first with Kanoute stepping up to the spot and pushing the ball right after watching Volkan move to the left.

Wederson quickly made it 1-1 as he emphatically fired his shot past Palop and into the top right hand corner of the net.

The keepers then traded saves to deny both Julien Escude and Edu Dracena, before Ivica Dragutinovic got Sevilla back on track slamming his penalty into the top right hand corner of the net although Aurelio immediately sent Fenerbahce level for a second time with a confident penalty to the left.

Substitute Enzo Maresco was up next but looked nervous from the start, attempting to hit the ball with enough power that Volkan would be unable to save it in the middle of the net. The strategy backfired with the six foot three Turk getting enough of his body behind the ball to keep it out.

Kezman then put Fenerbahce ahead for the first time in the shoot-out by smashing the ball high into the middle of the net after Palop dived to his right.

It was left to skipper Alves, who missed a penalty in the UEFA Cup final last season, to try and salvage the match for Sevilla.

But it was Volkan who finished as the hero after picking the right side and comfortably saving the hosts' finally penalty.

Pippa Davis / Eurosport