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Sevilla reached the last 16 of the Champions League despite being held to a 1-1 draw by Stuttgart in Spain.

Jesus Navas put the Andalusian outfit a goal up in the first half before Zdravko Kuzmanovic levelled matters with a stunning strike with 10 minutes remaining.

The Spaniards, who lost their 100 per cent home record in the competition, seemed to be cruising to victory at the Sanchez Pizjuan until an injury to substitute Aldo Duscher forced them to play the last 20 minutes with 10 men.

The home side dominated the first half but were left hanging on at the final whistle: substitute Julian Schieber should have won it for the German champions but he fired wide with the goal gaping.

Both sides were handed a late bonus when Unirea Urziceni equalised against Rangers: that sent Sevilla through to the knockout stage and put Stuttgart firmly back in the running.

At half-time the game was going to form, with the high-flying home side appearing able to put the struggling Germans under pressure at will.

Their neat play was rightly rewarded by Navas's fifth goal in nine games just 14 minutes in. The raiding right winger ghosted past a static Stuttgart backline on to Luis Fabiano's pass before slipping the ball tidily under the oncoming Jens Lehmann.

The raucous crowd duly showed their appreciation and would have been impressed with the way their side dominated possession for the rest of the half, if slightly disappointed that they did not make more of it in terms of chances.

Alvaro Negredo, on for the injured Aruna Kone, and centre-half Julien Escude both went close and coach Manolo Jimenez looked far happier than his counterpart Markus Babbel at the break.

But the German made an effective double change at the break - bringing on Stefano Celozzi and Sebastian Rudy for Khalid Boulahrouz and Roberto Hilbert - and the away side started the second half the brighter.

The turning point came when Duscher - a substitute himself - pulled a hamstring when Sevilla had made all three changes, leaving his side to play the remainder with 10 men.

When Kuzmanovic hammered home from the edge of the box it looked like only Stuttgart could win it but after Schieber fluffed his lines three minutes later, both sides seemed happy to settle for the draw.

Ed Saunt / Eurosport