SEVILLE, Spain (AP) - Sevilla moved closer to the knockout stages of the Champions League after easing to a 4-0 win over a Dinamo Zagreb side that played the entire second half with 10 men on Wednesday.
Sevilla dominated throughout the match at its Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium, with goals from Luciano Vietto, Sergio Escudero, Steven N’Zonzi and Wissam Ben Yedder.
Victory for the Group H leaders was helped by a red card for Dinamo defender Petar Stojanovic just before the break with the score at 1-0.
“We won in a clear fashion and that gives us strength for what’s to come,” Sevilla coach Jorge Sampaoli said. “Above all winning a Champions League match this way confirms our possibilities of fighting for a spot in the next phase.”
N’Zonzi hit the crossbar amid a series of early attacks that finally culminated in Vietto’s 31st-minute opener. The Argentine forward used a deft turn inside the area to avoid a tackle and sent a shot past goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic.
Dinamo already had enough problems trying to create chances when defender Stojanovic left his team a man down in first-half injury time when he picked up a second booking for a needless kick of Victor “Vitolo” Machin.
It was all Sevilla from there.
Left back Escudero worked a one-two with Vitolo before slaloming past a defender and driving in Sevilla’s second goal in the 66th.
N’Zonzi was not to be denied with his second attempt to score when his powerful header flew under Livakovic in the 80th. Substitute Ben Yedder added the fourth goal with three minutes to go from Mariano’s assist.
Sevilla, which had won the Europa League for the previous three seasons, leads Group H with 10 points. Dinamo was left with zero points.
Juventus has eight points in the group after drawing 1-1 with Lyon, which has four.
The win was also a boost for Sampaoli’s side ahead of its Spanish league match this weekend at home to defending champion Barcelona, with both teams near the top of the standings.
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