Sporting Lisbon 1 Bolton Wanderers 0 Lisbon win 2-1 on agg:PERHAPS PREMIER League pride was misplaced. Barely had the Champions League crowing begun when the Uefa Cup reality kicked in. Often seen as the barometer of strength in depth, Europe's second competition suddenly suggested the English game was not in such rude health after all.

There will be no English side in the draw for the quarter-finals today after Bolton Wanderers failed to score in Lisbon and went down to Bruno Pereirinha's wonderful goal in the 85th minute.

After a 1-1 draw at the Reebok Stadium in the first leg, Bolton would have been out even if they had drawn here, but the finish delivered justice to the game's best player and the better team.

For Uefa, meanwhile, there was a further uncomfortable reminder of the irrelevance of this tournament, stripped of big names, endlessly tinkered with, and all but ignored. Only the Jose Alvalade's multicoloured seats disguised the fact it was not even half full.

Yet if the departures of Spurs and Everton were a disaster, Bolton's was but a minor shame. It was striking that not only did they fail to get a goal but they hardly even sought it until the final 10 minutes. For Gary Megson, priorities lay elsewhere, with Wigan awaiting on Sunday. As a result, Bolton were without 12 regulars.

Bolton briefly threatened late in the game, but somehow this match always felt like an unwelcome distraction from a greater fight. It is a fight Bolton must now win.

SPORTING: Rui Patricio, Abel, Tonel, Anderson Polga, Grimi, Joao Moutinho, Bruno Pereirinha, Izmailov (Gladstone 87), Romagnoli (Adrien Silva 75), Liedson, Vukcevic (Tiui 66). Subs not used: Stojkovic, Ronny, Djalo, Farnerud. Booked: Joao Moutinho.

BOLTON: Al Habsi, Hunt, Cahill, Meite, Samuel, Joey O'Brien, Guthrie, Teymourian (Braaten 71), Giannakopoulos, Vaz Te, Helguson (Woolfe 76). Subs not used: Walker, Harsanyi, Sinclair, Sissons, Jamieson. Booked: Teymourian, Guthrie.

Referee: Bertrand Layec (France).