The troubled coastal club scored two goals before the half time whistle to give their Greek rivals a shove out of the UEFA Champions League.
Malaga's dream of playing in UEFA Champions League group stage became more real than ever after their playoff first leg in front of home fans. La Rosaleda faithful saw an impressive performance from Manuel Pellegrini’s men, who beat Panathinaikos 2-0.
Pellegrini barked directions from the box and was only seen relaxing after the interval, with Malaga in cruise control against their more experienced rivals. A great first half saw Martin Demichelis and Eliseu get their names on the score sheet, marking
the difference in quality between the teams.
The second leg of the playoffs is scheduled to be played in Athens next week but with Malaga in red hot form despite their off-field distractions will have little concerns.
The Andalusians were the better side, with the Greeks resigned to playing in the shadow of their Spanish rivals. However, with stark differences in the form of teams in home and away matches, Los Anchovies will have to tread lightly on their travels.
Malaga cemented the victory in a great first half, where they bossed Panathinaikos with roughly 60% of the possession, threatened with their pace and were more fluid in their discipline to create chances.
Isco, Joaquin and Eliseu had a great workout to create all kinds of problems for their rivals. Teenage sensation, Fabrice had yet another good outing with the first team, building on his heroics in Malaga’s La Liga opening fixture.
However, it was the double-pivot of Jeremy Toulalan and Enzo Maresca who worked in tandem and did not allow their rivals to cause problems to the backline, while also aiding in attack.
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Manuel-c23383 Pellegrini had to suffer anxious moments in the dugout as Malaga threatened their rivals but failed to pounce on the chances they created. Eliseu tried his luck from outside the penalty area with Joaquin having a corner bouncing away clear.
It was then from the corner that the coastal club got the lead. Weligton’s header at the back post was saved which fell in the path of Demichelis, who finished off with pleasure in the area. After that Malaga became more intense in all aspects, especially
in set pieces.
The second goal was a beauty which was initiated by Isco from the left side. He entered the area and passed to Maresca, who returned the ball. The http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Eliseu-c12315 in the danger area to virtually secure a place in the UEFA Champions
League group stages.
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