Mallorca 2 : 2 Sevilla - Blow for Sevilla Euro hopes

Sevilla's hopes of breaking into the top four were effectively ended with a 2-2 draw at Mallorca.

Overhauling the nine-point gap between themselves and fourth-placed Villarreal was always going to be a hard enough task, but this loss of points means their hopes are now virtually non-existent.

Akihiro Ienaga gave Mallorca the lead with a 16th-minute header, only for Alvaro Negredo to level from the spot.

But a moment of brilliance from Jonathan De Guzman restored Mallorca`s lead, before a glaring error from home keeper Dudu Aouate allowed Ivan Rakitic to level for a second time,

The home side took the lead through Ienaga, but the goal owed plenty to the brilliance of winger Gonzalo Castro.

He picked up the ball on the left of the Sevilla box and, stood up a delightful cross that drew in and evaded Javi Varas, affording Ienaga all the time in the world to pick his spot with a free header.

But, the lead would not last for too long as, with 31 minutes on the clock, Ivan Ramis went into a challenge with Negredo and, although he seemed to get a touch on the ball, he also floored the former Real Madrid man who dusted himself down and netted from the spot.

Castro was one of the game`s outstanding performers and, three minutes before the break, he robbed Federico Fazio of possession and rolled the ball to De Guzman who ran on 20 metres before slamming into the bottom corner from 25 yards.

After the break, Rios Rodri should have done better with a free header for Sevilla, before Rakitic drilled in from just inside the area after Aouate came for a ball Jose Carlos Nunes looked to be dealing with and bundled it straight to the waiting midfielder.

De Guzman was twice denied by Varas as Mallorca pushed for a winner, and Rodri had a late chance for the visitors, but there would be no further scoring.