sevilla close the door on mönchengladbach published: thursday 26 february 2015, 20.56cet vfl borussia mönchengladbach 2-3 sevilla fc (agg: 2-4) vitolo scored twice on the break, with his second of the night putting an end to german hopes of a dramatic recovery.
• vitolo's second of the night ends ten-man gladbach's resistance • german side twice come from behind in frantic first half • max kruse grazes crossbar; thorgan hazard effort strikes post • holders sevilla remain on target for fourth success in this competition • follow friday's round of 16 draw on uefa.com, with live streaming from 13.00cet
a red card and a vitolo goal on the break killed off vfl borussia mönchengladbach as uefa europa league title holders sevilla fc forged on to the last 16.
there were four goals inside the first 30 minutes as lucien favre's men strived to cancel out a one-goal deficit, efforts from granit xhaka and thorgan hazard pegging sevilla back after carlos bacca and then vitolo had put them ahead on the night. however, xhaka's dismissal in the second half unsettled gladbach, and vitolo scored again to complete a 4-2 aggregate success.
bacca nudged in aleix vidal's teasing cross from out on the right as sevilla went ahead on just eight minutes, but patrick herrmann laid the ball back for xhaka to blast a powerful equaliser through sergio rico's legs. vitolo then retorted with his first of the night, beating yann sommer after taking possession on the halfway line and charging down the retreating gladbach defence. despite that second blow, the bundesliga side kept hoping, and hazard chested down an awkward ball and allowed it to bounce before beating rico with a neat shot.
the second half contained almost as much drama. bacca and vidal were both denied breakaway goals by sommer, while at the other end sevilla's defence was kept busy, max kruse notably grazing the crossbar as gladbach sought the two goals they needed to progress.
even after xhaka's red card, hazard hit the post with an effort inside a crowded box, but vicente ıborra headed against the bar at the other end before vitolo provided the coup de grace, beating sommer after being played through by substitute kevin gameiro.
