The second half saw Stuttgart work their way back into the game, helped by a couple of injuries to Sevilla, Kone limping off with a rib injury and Duscher, a substitute himself, suffering thigh damage. The latter left Sevilla with ten men, having already used all their subs, and the pressure eventually told. Stuttgart had sent a few warning shots in the way of Javi Varas, before Kuzmanovic finally boomed one into the top corner from outside the box. The Germans could have gone on to snatch the three points, with Russian hitman Pogrebnyak hitting the bar with a header and Javi Varas making a couple of spectacular stops which will only enhance his growing reputation, but Sevilla held on to qualify with two games to spare from what was initially viewed as a tough group to call. Can they be considered a dark horse to win it?
Rubin Kazan's superstitious manager Kurban Berdyev made it four points from a possible six with a deserved 0-0 draw against the reigning European champions. He may be bonkers but he's a tactical messiah, and the rosemary beads worked their magic once more. Barcelona could have gone infront as early as the 2nd minute when Zlatan Ibrahimovic swept a shot against the upright, but that's as close as it would get for 'Los Blaugranas' as they were frozen out by a hard-working Kazan outfit. Leo Messi was a disappointment once more, and voices are beginning to creep out the woodwork in criticism of the once untouchable Argentine. Guardiola has some work to do to rebuild confidence stripped away by Maradona's Argentine set-up.
But in concentrating on Messi's unfortunate plight, I am undermining the performance of an impermeable Rubin defence. As sturdy as the Kremlin wall, Rubins defenders closed ranks once Ibrahimovic had broke through. As predicted, the Russians broke out on the counter as the game wore on, and they could have snatched it were it not for a splendid stop late-on from Victor Valdes. Barcelona are now third in Group F, behind Kazan and Inter, who left it late to see off Kiev to move to the top of the group. Which means 'Los Cule' are now obliged to beat Mourinho's Inter Milan at home in three weeks time, or they could be pulling out their scarves and hats again for Kiev with one foot out the Champions League, an extraordinary scenario that no-one could have predicted. Guardiola said post-match that if they cant get six points from the next two games they don't deserve to go through. He's not wrong.
Sevilla 1 - 1 Stuttgart
Rubin Kazan 0 - 0 Barcelona