Sevilla 2-1 Tottenham

Goles Sevilla - Tottenham
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Tottenham suffered a narrow defeat in their UEFA Cup quarter-final first leg against Sevilla in a match which was marred by crowd disturbances involving visiting fans.

Spurs had won all eight of their UEFA Cup matches during this season's competition, but that record came to an end at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium as reigning champions Sevilla edged an exciting contest 2-1.

Robbie Keane gave his side the perfect start with an opening goal after less than 90 seconds but Sevilla hit back through a controversially-awarded penalty from former White Hart Lane favourite Frederic Kanoute and a header from Alexander Kerzhakov.

However, the game threatened to be overshadowed by another incident involving riot police and travelling English fans.

Just 24 hours after Italian riot police clashed with Manchester United supporters during a Champions League match in Rome, similar scenes occurred in Seville.

Riot police had already made their presence known an hour before the match, using batons to disperse a group of Spurs fans who had congregated near the hotel where the Sevilla team were located.

Around 50 Spurs fans were chanting, gesticulating and causing an obstruction for passing vehicles in the street.

A couple of cups of liquid were thrown from the area where the Spurs fans were standing and, as the visiting supporters moved closer to the Sevilla team bus, the riot police intervened.

The first 30 minutes of the match itself passed with little incident in the stands, but then riot police entered the section of the stadium where the Spurs fans were located.

Seats were torn out and thrown at the police as ugly scenes threatened to overshadow what was an exciting match.

The confrontation between the Spurs fans and the police continued for around five minutes until Sevilla netted their second goal in the 36th minute.

Trouble flared again during the half-time interval, with seats again being thrown as the riot police moved in - but things calmed down after their departure at the start of the second half.

On the pitch, Spurs were unable to capitalise on a perfect start after Keane put them ahead with the first chance of the match.

The Irishman latched onto a Dimitar Berbatov pass inside the Sevilla penalty area and slotted home at the second attempt after home goalkeeper Andres Palop had blocked his first effort.

Good work on the right by Aaron Lennon almost produced a second opening for Keane in the 12th minute, but the winger's pass was just too heavy for his team-mate and Palop was able to gather.

Sevilla were struggling to create much going forward in the early stages as Spurs' makeshift defence, which saw Pascal Chimbonda playing at centre-back, comfortably dealt with the home side.

However, the hosts were gifted a chance to get back in the game in the 18th minute when they were awarded a controversial penalty.

Spurs goalkeeper Paul Robinson looked to have made a brilliant sprawling block to deny Adriano, but referee Alain Hamer deemed the challenge to be illegal and pointed to the spot.

The Spurs players protested against the decision and Robinson was shown a yellow card, but the penalty stood and their former striker Kanoute stepped up to level the scores.

Spurs responded to that setback with a Keane effort from outside the box which Palop did well to stop diving to his left.

With the game flowing from end to end, both teams had chances to score in a matter of moments.

First, Spurs midfielder Jermaine Jenas saw a shot blocked from outside the box before Robinson was called on to make a superb diving stop to push away Jesus Navas' 25-yard effort.

Spurs' early dominance had now diminished and Robinson was called on to make a diving stop to keep the game at 1-1.

However, the England goalkeeper could do little to prevent Kerzhakov putting Sevilla in front in the 36th minute, the striker heading home Julien Escude's headed pass.

That was a major setback for Spurs but they had a great chance to equalise just three minutes later.

Jenas curled in a free-kick to the far post where the unmarked Michael Dawson headed wide when he should at least have hit the target as Spurs went in at half-time 2-1 down.

Martin Jol's men were quickly back out on the pitch after the half-time break, clearly eager to start the second half as well as they did the first.

Keane and Lennon were both denied by good defending before captain Keane drilled a shot wide of the far post after breaking free on the left-hand side of the area. Sevilla coach Ramos was obviously concerned by Spurs' dominance at the start of the second half and he opted to make a change in the 60th minute, sending on Marti for Renato.

Soon after that substitution the UEFA Cup holders created their first decent chance of the second half, with Kanoute sliding his shot just wide of goal.

At the other end Jenas blazed a long-range free-kick over the bar before poor control from Berbatov saw another attacking opportunity go to waste.

Sevilla came within inches of netting a third goal in the 73rd minute when Kanoute got his head to an Adriano cross, but the Mali international's effort flew just wide of the far post with Robinson beaten.

Jol made his first substitution of the night with 10 minutes remaining, sending on Steed Malbranque for Lennon, and soon after that the Dutchman replaced Teemu Tainio with Hossam Ghaly.

Malbranque was quickly in the action with a shot that went wide, but Spurs were unable to make the breakthrough as Sevilla held on to earn a narrow advantage ahead of next week's second leg at White Hart Lane.