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Page last updated at 22:47 GMT, Tuesday, 29 September 2009 23:47 UK

Jimenez hails big Sevilla victory

Luis Fabiano celebrates with Didier Zokora
Luis Fabiano (bottom) scored one of Sevilla's four goals at Ibrox

Sevilla coach Manolo Jimenez says his side's comfortable win over Rangers sets them up nicely for Sunday's La Liga showdown with Real Madrid.

"Psychologically, it has got to be positive," he said after the 4-1 Champions League win in Glasgow.

"History can't lie and we know, in 23 games, they have only had two defeats at home in Europe and that makes our triumph even more special.

"Real Madrid, and Barcelona too, must realise Sevilla are a big threat."

Jiminez stressed that the match at Ibrox was closer than the 4-1 scoreline suggests.

"It was a great result, 4-1 away from home in the Champions League," said the Sevilla coach, who has hopes that his side can break the dominance of the big two in Spain.

"I'm very happy. We knew that Rangers weren't going to make it easy for us and they didn't, especially in the first half.

We were just happy to score the first goal because it was quite balanced and open in the first half.

Sevilla striker Fredi Kanoute

"It was a close run thing in the first half. It wasn't really until the second half and our first goal that the game opened up and our tactics and plan started to work and we played with quality and assurance.

"Scotland is a difficult place to come and play football and to come away with a comfortable victory is very positive.

"It's going to give us a lot of confidence and we will be up for it on Sunday."

Jiminez avoided being drawn into whether Rangers' Steven Naismith should have been given a penalty for what looked like a blatant trip by Abdoulay Konko, the Sevilla defender who later opened the scoring.

"I'm not going to make a judgement on that one," said the Sevilla coach.

"Maybe Capel might have had a slight chance of a penalty in the second half, but the refs have a tough job and it's not for me to say whether it was or wasn't a penalty."

Fredi Kanoute played a part in the second goal scored by Adriano, set up Luis Fabiano for the third and scored the fourth himself.

And the former Tottenham Hotspur striker thought that scoring the first goal had been crucial.

"It was a quite balanced game in the first half, but the second half was much better for us," said Kanoute.

"We did not underestimate Rangers, because they are a good team. They play good football and have very good players.

"We were just happy to score the first goal because it was quite balanced and open in the first half."

Seville's victory keeps the Spaniards at the top of Group G, four points ahead of Stuttgart, who drew 1-1 away to Unirea Urziceni in Romania.

Stuttgart opened the scoring after five minutes when defender Serdar Tasci took advantage of a static Unirea defence.

Unirea equalised three minutes after the break when forward Dacian Varga curled a shot into the far corner from the left hand side of the penalty box.

Stuttgart had the better chances for the rest of the match, with two falling to Timo Gebhart in the space of three minutes.

However, Varga said: "We played well. I scored the most important goal of my career."



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see also
Derby not new to Mowbray - Smith
03 Oct 09 |  Rangers
Rangers 1-4 Sevilla
29 Sep 09 |  Europe
Fabiano plots Rangers downfall
28 Sep 09 |  Rangers
Stuttgart 1-1 Rangers
16 Sep 09 |  Europe
Rough guide to Group G
27 Aug 09 |  Rangers


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