Sevilla stroll while Leverkusen struggle

Sevilla's Brazilian Daniel Alves celebrates his second goal he scored against Grasshopper-Club, during their UEFA Cup football match in Zurich. Sevilla won 4-0.

Reigning UEFA Cup champions Sevilla turned on the style, sweeping Grasshopper aside 4-0 in Zurich to guarantee their place in the next round.

Brazilian midfielder Daniel Alves produced a double in either half with Uruguayan striker Ernesto Chevanton and Kepa Blanco completing the rout for the Spaniards.

Sevilla, who dashed the hopes of Premiership side Middlesbrough to clinch last season's final, go joint top of Group C with one game remaining.

Bayer Leverkusen, Champions League finalists in 2001/02, have struggled to qualify for the last 32 and the Bundesliga side went into their Group B tie against Dinamo Bucharest badly needing a result.

Defeat to Tottenham last week had left them with the very real danger of suffering a premature exit from Europe's second club competition and they needed all three points in Romania to keep their UEFA hopes flickering.

But it wasn't to be with Dinamo's Claudio Niculescu bagging a double in the Romanian's 2-1 win, Bosnian striker Sergei Barbarezz saving the German's blushes.

That left Leverksuen with just the one point mustered from three games leaving them with a must-win final tie against Besiktas to guarantee their ticket through the back door in third place.

Tottenham who head the group and are already assured of their berth, host Dinamo at White Hart Lane for their last group fixture on December 14.

French side Auxerre, who held Group A leaders Rangers to a 2-2 draw last week, jumped from last to third after a 4-1 victory over Partizan Belgrade with second-placed Maccabi Haifa held to a 1-1 draw by Livorno.

Auxerre coach Jean Fernandez reflected: "We played well and the four goals was as a result of the pressure we put on Partizan."

In Spain Osasuna increaded their prospects of going through when moving up to third in Group D with a 3-1 success over Danish outfit Odense.

Their midfielder Patzi Punal Martinez was the author of two of the hosts' goals, and he also came up with a 72nd minute own goal to offer Odense hope, ultimately in vain, of a fightback.

Thursday's batch of fixtures features Premiership side Newcastle, Group F leaders, away to Eintracht Frankfurt.