Sevilla failed to put more pressure on Valencia in the race for the Champions League spots after being held at home by Deportivo.

With third-placed Valencia travelling to Barcelona, Sevilla could have moved to within a point of Los Che with a victory and it was looking good when they took a first-half lead through Federico Fazio.

However, sixth-placed Depor, who are only two points behind the Andalusians, levelled up almost immediately through Adrian Lopez and despite the hosts hitting the woodwork twice and pushing hard for the win in the second half, the spoils were shared.

Sevilla took the lead in the 20th minute with the first real effort of note from either side.

Having won a free-kick in a central position 30 yards from goal, Diego Perotti drilled a pass in towards the penalty spot where Fazio flicked the ball goalwards with his head.

Depor goalkeeper Daniel Aranzubia flung himself to his left and managed to get a hand on the ball, but he could not keep it out.

That would have been just the breakthrough Sevilla would have been hoping for after taking just one point from their last two matches and last weekend`s agonising injury-time defeat to Real Madrid.

However, like at the Bernabeu where they lost 3-2 after being 2-0 up, Sevilla failed to hold onto their advantage as Depor drew level just three minutes later.

Andres Guardado drilled a low cross into the near post and Adrian got on the end of it to side-foot a shot past the helpless Andres Palop.

After a sluggish start the game was now alive and Sevilla almost re-took the lead in the 27th minute following another Perotti free-kick.

Perotti was nearer the touchline this time, but his delivery was just as good as before, and his curling cross ended up hitting the base of the far post after team-mate Alvaro Negredo just failed to get his head on the ball.

The first half ended in controversial circumstances with Sevilla claiming Aranzubia had handed the ball outside his area in deflecting Navas` shot behind for a corner.

The home side were adamant Aranzubia should be heading for an early bath, but television replays suggested the ball may have hit the veteran custodian`s shoulder.

Aranzubia would find himself back in the spotlight in the second half, although then it was for his role in keeping dominant Sevilla at bay.

He made a couple of important interventions, although he needed the help of his crossbar in the 60th minute as Sevilla hit then woodwork for the second time, substitute Luis Fabiano the unlucky man this time with a brilliant header from near the penalty spot.

Aranzubia then pushed behind a cross-shot from Marius Stankevicius, and he also did well to deny Luis Fabiano at his near post with 14 minutes left.

In-between those incidents though, Depor almost managed to take the lead.

A clever flick on the edge of the area by Adrian put Juan Dominguez in on goal and it needed a good save by Palop to keep Sevilla level.

Manolo Jimenez`s side kept pushing for a winner in the closing stages but they could find no way through and had to settle for a frustrating draw ahead of their Champions League last-16 second leg against CSKA Moscow this week.