Fuente : UEFA (English)
http://www.uefa.com/

UEFA Champions League: Villarreal survive Everton effort

/noticias.info/ Villarreal CF advanced to Thursday's UEFA Champions League group stage draw as they withstood an Everton FC fightback to emerge victorious on the night and on aggregate.

Forlán winner
Juan Pablo Sorin's 21st-minute goal looked to have sealed the tie for the Spanish side, who led 2-1 from the first leg, but Mikael Arteta's equaliser with 21 minutes remaining restored hope for the visitors. They had one effort disallowed late on before Diego Forlán ended their faint hopes with a last-minute strike.

Sorin strike
Everton started with real intent with Tim Cahill put clear after 17 minutes but he shot weakly at Mariano Barbosa. Everton were made to pay for that profligacy six minutes later as Sorin's powerful shot took a deflection off Everton captain David Weir to leave keeper Nigel Martyn wrong-footed.

Villareal on top
Buoyed by the breakthrough, Villareal assumed control and Martyn denied them with marvellous full-length save from Forlán's fierce shot in the 24th minute. Martyn and Forlán's private duel continued as competition debutants Villareal continued to press. The Uruguayan cleverly got away from Joseph Yobo and fired in a shot from 20 metres but Martyn was equal to it.

Marvellous Martyn
Martyn made another impressive save in the 39th minute when he somehow got a hand to a curling free-kick from the inspirational Juan Román Riquelme and the former England international was again on hand to foil the Argentinian playmaker just over a minute later. The 39-year-old keeper was again called upon early in the second half and he denied Riquelme and Marcos Senna in quick succession.

Arteta on target
However, Everton reawakened the tie as a contest with a bolt from the blue after 69 minutes as their own Spaniard Arteta scored with a sublime free-kick from 25 metres out. And Everton almost drew level in the 74th minute but Cahill's cross came back off the bar with Barbosa beaten. Barbosa then tipped over a goal-bound header from Ferguson after 80 minutes as Everton stepped up the pressure.

Ferguson denied
Ferguson did manage to get the ball in the net minutes later but experienced referee Pierluigi Collina noticed an infringement by Marcus Bent and ruled out the effort. Everton continued to press but were caught out in injury time as Forlán swept in Sorin's cross. They now enter Friday's UEFA Cup first round draw. notas_de_prensa_archivo