Sevilla suffered their second Champions League setback in four days as Espanyol cruised to a comfortable 2-0 win.

After CSKA Moscow dumped them out of Europe in midweek, Sevilla's hopes of finishing in the top four were dealt a blow by Dani Osvaldo's brace at Estadi Cornella-El Prat.

Osvaldo scored early in each half to earn Espanyol a thoroughly deserved victory and extend their opponents' winless run in the league to four games.

Julien Escude's header acrobatically saved by Cristian Alvarez in the first half was as close as the visitors - who will drop to fifth if Real Mallorca beat Atletico Madrid tomorrow - came to a goal.

Sevilla came into the game looking to make amends for their shock 2-1 home defeat to unfancied CSKA, but instead Osvaldo added to their misery with the opening goal in the eighth minute.

Fernando Marques was given two chances to get his cross in from the right and with his second attempt he flighted a ball in for Osvaldo, who got the run on his marker, to power a header home from six yards.

Jose Callejon twice shot wide of the right post as the Catalans continued to threaten.

But they had goalkeeper Alvarez to thank for keeping them in front with a fine save three minutes before the break.

Julien Escude's flicked header from the centre of the area looked to be looping over Alvarez, but he leapt to tip the ball brilliantly over the bar.

Alvarez then got down well to comfortably stop Aldo Duscher's low shot from just outside the area.

Sevilla's cause was not helped by losing two players to injury in the first half, Jesus Navas and Diego Capel being forced off.

Osvaldo was still causing problems and he saw an effort parried by Sevilla goalkeeper Andres Palop - who was at fault for Keisuke Honda's winning goal for CSKA in midweek - two minutes after the break.

But the striker got the better of the stopper to double Espanyol's lead on the hour mark.

Marques had acres of space to lay a pass to his left to play in Osvaldo, who, one-on-one with Palop, opened up his body to slide a right-footed shot through the goalkeeper's legs.

Osvaldo was denied a hat-trick in the 73rd minute when Palop saved his close-range effort with his legs and then, when the ball was driven back in, could not adjust in time to direct his header on target.

At the other end Didier Zokora made ground down the left and sent in a cross, but Frederic Kanoute could only head over the top as Sevilla's winless run continued.