Sporting Gijon 0-1 Sevilla

A well-worked goal out of almost nothing from Fredi Kanoute was enough to give Sevilla victory over Sporting Gijon in a battle of two teams chasing European places.

Sporting fell to their first home defeat of the season as Kanoute teamed up with Jesus Navas to score the only goal after nine minutes.

The win lifts Sevilla up to third place as they continue their push for Europe.

The game was played against a backdrop of trouble outside the ground, with 12 people being taken to hospital with injuries, according to early reports.

The incidents saw around '200' ultras from the top two clubs clashing outside the El Molinon stadium before the game.

Sporting began the game brightly and had a great chance to take the lead after just three minutes when Miguel de las Cuevas hit a first time shot that Andres Palop had to push over the bar.

But although they had been second best in the early going, Sevilla grabbed the lead in the ninth minute with a wonderfully worked goal.

Ndri Romaric's quickly-taken free-kick found Navas, who played a one-two with Kanoute to find space on the right wing.

By the time his low, pacey cross arrived, Kanoute had doubled back to be on hand and poke the ball over Juan Pablo Colinas.

Navas could and maybe should have doubled the lead six minutes later when Colinas could only parry a cross into his path. His reflex shot was firmly struck and beat the goalkeeper, but Gregory was on hand to clear the ball off the line.

Sevilla continued to pile forward threatening a second goal, with Romaric the next to go close, heading a dangerous inswinging cross from Diego Perotti onto the outside of the left-hand post.

But Sevilla's momentum was slowed as the game began to turn scrappy.

The visitors lost Adriano to an injury midway through the half, and his replacement Marc Valiente had only been on the pitch for a couple of minutes when he was booked for a reckless challenge, scything down David Barral on the edge of the area.

Palop had to tip the resulting free-kick from Jose Valdes around the post.

Sporting had another chance to equalise before the break when, after a couple of deflections, the ball fell for Diego Castro on the penalty spot, but he rather awkwardly scooped his shot over the crossbar.

The second half was slow to come to life.

Time had already moved past the hour mark when Castro went on a winding run into the box, but with a crowd in front of him, his shot was blocked by Valiente.

Moments later, at the other end, Fernando Navarro sent a dangerous low ball flashing across the face of goal but no one could get on the end of it.

With heavy hail starting to fall, the visitors had another great chance to double their lead as Aroune Kone broke down the left and laid the ball off for Alvaro Negredo, but the substitute got his shot all wrong to miss the target.

The chances continued to fall for Sevilla, but when Colinas failed to gather a cross, Perotti, perhaps surprised to get the ball, fired his shot well over.

At the other end, Francisco Maldonado saw his volleyed shot kept out by another heroic block by Valiente as Sevilla hung on.