Football: Malaga take control in Champions League playoff

BERNE:

Malaga gave themselves an excellent chance of qualifying for the Champions League for the first time by beating Panathinaikos 2-0 at home in the first-leg of their playoff.

Udinese, like Malaga hit by a flurry of summer departures, held Braga 1-1 away and Belarus champions BATE Borisov appear on the brink of a second successive group stage appearance after a 2-0 home win over Israel’s Hapoel Kiryat Shmona.

AEL Limassol, hoping to provide more success for Cyprus after APOEL’s run to the quarter-finals last season, won 2-1 against Anderlecht who, like Tottenham Hotspur, are suffering the consequences of Chelsea winning the trophy last season.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 24^th, 2012.