Lyon advanced when Lisandro Lopez scored a last-minute goal to force a 1-1 draw at home to Liverpool, who had taken the lead seven minutes earlier. Sevilla qualified despite losing their 100 per cent record after a 1-1 home draw with VfB Stuttgart.

Liverpool agony as late goal takes Lyon through

A late goal by Lisandro Lopez gave Olympique Lyon a 1-1 draw with Liverpool in the Champions League on Wednesday, sealing the home team's place in the last 16 and leaving the visitors on the brink of going out.

Argentine striker Lopez fired home from close range in the 90th minute as Lyon progressed from the group stage for the seventh time in a row.

Liverpool had gone ahead with a thunderbolt 25-metre shot from Ryan Babel in the 83rd.

Lyon top Group E with 10 points from four matches followed by Fiorentina (9), Liverpool (4) and Debrecen (0).

Rafa Benitez's side now need to win their last two matches and hope Fiorentina drop points.

Lyon coach Claude Puel praised Hugo Lloris for a superb performance in goal.

"He is the one who kept us in the game but that is no surprise," Puel told reporters. "He has played a prominent part in our Champions League results."

Fernando Torres, who has been suffering with a groin injury, started for Liverpool at Gerland stadium but the Spain striker was a shadow of his normal self.

He went close after 12 minutes when his effort was parried by France keeper Lloris but gradually faded out of the game.

Lloris also tipped a Dirk Kuyt lob over the bar before Andriy Voronin shot straight at the keeper when well placed.

BRILLIANT STOP

Liverpool continued to push forward in the second half, Lucas finding himself unmarked in the area only to be thwarted by a brilliant stop from Lloris.

With 15 minutes to go Lopez took advantage of a weak Sotiris Kyrgiakos header only to be denied by visiting keeper Pepe Reina.

Liverpool went in front thanks to Babel's stunning right-foot drive before Lyon snatched the draw they needed to advance when Kyrgiakos missed the ball in the box, leaving Lopez unmarked to beat Reina from close range.

"You have to be really disappointed because it was a great opportunity tonight," said Benitez. "We had our chances, again a late goal against Lyon (makes) a massive difference.

"It is difficult but not impossible. We have to win our next game (at Debrecen on Nov. 24) and see what happens between Fiorentina and Lyon the same night. We have done it in the past."

Sevilla through after draw against Stuttgart

Seville: Ten-man Sevilla advanced to the Champions League knockout round with two matches to spare when they held on for a 1-1 home draw with VfB Stuttgart in Group G on Wednesday.

The La Liga side had to play the final quarter of an hour with 10 men after they used all three substitutes and the injured Aldo Duscher had to come off.

Manolo Jimenez's side had looked to be cruising to a fourth win out of four in the group when they carved open the visitors' defence with a slick passing move in the 14th minute.

Ndri Romaric picked out Luis Fabiano and the Brazilian striker's first-time through ball released Jesus Navas to finish coolly past the onrushing Jens Lehmann.

Sevilla goalkeeper Javi Varas did well to sprint off his line and smother an effort from Arthur Boka from a tight angle in the 36th minute but Stuttgart offered little else in attack before the break.

They showed more fight in the second half and substitute Sebastien Rudy just failed to turn in a floated free kick in the 52nd minute. Pavel Pogrebnyak nodded against the crossbar two minutes later.

The dynamic of the match changed in the 74th minute when Duscher, who had been on the pitch for only 12 minutes, had to go off and the Bundesliga side pressed forward for an equaliser.

Zdravko Kuzmanovic found it when he picked up the ball in a central position just outside the area in the 79th minute and arrowed a shot into the top corner from 20 metres.

Sevilla had Unirea Urziceni's Marius Onofras to thank for making it through to the next round after he scored a late equaliser in a 1-1 draw against visiting Rangers in the other Group G match.