Sevilla took a 25th-minute lead in the last-16 first leg through Alvaro Negredo but hosts CSKA salvaged a draw thanks to former Real Betis winger Mark Gonzalez, who scored a brilliant long-range equaliser in the 66th minute.

Neither side could force a winner in the closing stages, leaving Sevilla holding the edge heading in the return leg at their Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan home.

CSKA deserved to draw level as they looked the more dangerous side in a game of few opportunities in freezing conditions, but Jimenez admits he was left with a "bittersweet" taste following the tie.

"Although the result is good, we cannot avoid going away with a bittersweet taste in the mouth," he said.

"It`s not a negative result, as scoring away from home is always positive. (But) I was convinced that the game was going to be ours, it`s not completely gone the way I wanted and I`m sure that CSKA, who are a great team, will come and give it everything at our ground.

"A 0-0 is much worse than a 1-1, but we had prepared for the game to win it. Anyway, we can continue dreaming, because in 104 years, Sevilla have the opportunity to reach the quarter-finals of the competition for the first time in their history."

Striker Negredo was left with similar emotions despite putting a number of recent disappointments behind him with his first Champions League goal.

The summer signing from Real Madrid, who in his previous three league games had been sent off twice and scored an own goal, said: "I`m happy to have scored in the competition as that`s what I really wanted. We`ve gone ahead and they`ve drawn level, so I`m not happy, because it seemed we had the game pretty much under control and the brilliant goal from Mark changed things.

"I think the team are going to finish the job in the return leg. The Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan has to be a cauldron, with the fans right behind us."