UEFA Cup, quarter final second leg

AZ Alkmaar 1 - Villarreal 1

La Liga's last representative in European competitions bowed out tonight, leaving Spain without a side in any of the semi-finals for the first time in 15 years. Villarreal needed to score at least two goals to come back from their 1-2 defeat against Alkmaar in the first leg, but in the end they could only manage a 1-1 draw. The Dutch side took the lead in only the seventh minute when Kenneth Pérez fired a long shot in off the post, only a couple of minutes after Figueroa missed an easy chance. The locals were left with ten men in the twentieth minute when Opdam picked up a second booking for a foul on José Marí, but the Spanish striker followed him to the dressing rooms second later after kicking out at an opponent whilst lying on the floor. Pressure from the visitors paid off when Figueroa turned in Riquelme's cross midway through the second half. But although Riquelme hit the post with a free kick and Sorín and Armando Sá both went close, Pellegrini's side were unable to get the goal they needed to take the game in to extra time. (14.04.05)