THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

SEVILLE, Spain -- CSKA Moscow reached the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time after beating Sevilla 2-1 on Tuesday, with Keisuke Honda scoring the winner for a 3-2 aggregate.

CSKA went ahead in the 39th minute when Tomas Necid received the ball on the edge of the area, moved away from his marker and calmly placed the ball past Andres Palop.

After a long pass into the area unbalanced the CSKA defence, Diego Perotti equalized in the 41st by tapping the ball past Igor Akinfeev.

In the 55th minute Palop misjudged as he attempted to punch away Honda's long free kick and the ball bounced off his fists into the net, leaving Sevilla needing two goals to progress, which the team never looked like managing.

"This result is disastrous and all we can do is say sorry to the fans. We had a lot of hopes pinned on this game," coach Manuel Jimenez said. "I'm the one who's responsible."

With the scoreline finely balanced after the 1-1 draw in the away leg, both sides looked cagey in the first half at Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium. Sevilla had slightly more possession of the ball although it struggled to create chances as it sought to reach the quarter-finals of Europe's top competition for the first time since 1958.

"It wasn't to be, they played better than us," said Sevilla president Jose Maria del Nido. "Our team was too tensed up."

In one of Sevilla's best chances of the game, Luis Fabiano struck Jesus Navas' cross first time from close range, drawing a fine save from Akinfeev in the third minute.

"We had a clear opportunity to break the 0-0 scoreline," Jimenez said of the chance. "Normally we score on those kinds of occasions, but Luis Fabiano's shot went straight to the goalkeeper."

Palop had to rush out to beat Honda to the ball in the fifth minute. The midfielder had an even better chance in the 27th, when he shot from just inside the area straight at the 'keeper, before following up on the rebound and firing just wide.

Perotti was tightly marked in central midfield, and Alexei Berezutski was booked in the 20th for a late challenge on him.

Referee Viktor Kassai waved away a penalty appeal by Perotti after he was dispossessed in the area while attempting to strike a half volley.

With striker Fabiano barely connecting with the midfield in the first half, Sevilla bolstered its attacking options by bringing on Frederic Kanoute at halftime, to replace Diego Capel.

"After we went ahead we knew that Sevilla could score at any moment," CSKA coach Leonid Slutskiy said.

Kanoute nearly put the hosts ahead within minutes of coming on as he headed Navas' cross from the right just wide.

With Sevilla desperate for goals after Honda's strike, coach Jimenez sent on a third forward, Alvaro Negredo, for Renato in the 71st, before throwing on Adriano for Fernando Navarro in defence.

Sevilla started to threaten more after the changes and Navas drew a save from Akinfeev with 15 minutes to go, although Fabiano did not manage a clean shot on the rebound.

However, CSKA looked comfortable protecting the lead as the clock ticked down.

In the closing minutes Sevilla fans starting chanting for Jimenez to be sacked. Del Nido said the coach "will continue until the end of this season, because he has a contract and he has our trust." Jimenez's contract ends in June.