Champions League: Malaga beat Panathinaikos

Paris, Aug 23 (IANS):

Spanish football club Malaga defeated Greek side Panathinaikos 2-0, while minnows BATE also prospered in the UEFA Champions League.

Malaga, who spent over $70 million recruiting new players last year but were hit by monetary constraints this season, beat Panathinaikos, coached by former Malaga boss Jesualdo Ferreira, with two first-half goals from Argentine defender Martin Demichelis and Portuguese midfielder Eliseu, reports Xinhua.

Belarusian side BATE Borisov defeated Israeli debutants Hapoel Kiryat Shmona 2-0 in the night’s other game.

In other matches on Wednesday, Ismaily neutralised Dusan Basta’s first-half goal as Sporting Braga drew 1-1 at home with Udinese while AEL Limassol got the better of Anderlecht 2-1 with Dosa Junior and Rui Miguel’s goals.

Dynamo Zagreb skipper Milan Badelj scored the winner in the 2-1 victory over Maribor of Slovenia, having earlier scored a self goal. The 23-year-old will join Hamburg in the German Bundesliga after next week’s second leg.

German team Stuttgart defeated Dynamo Moscow 2-0, striker Vedad Ibisevic scoring both the goals.

Results:

At Minsk: BATE Borisov, Belarus, 2 (Vitali Rodionov 29, 78), Hapoel Kiryat Shmona, Israel, 0.

At Nicosia: AEL Limassol, Cyprus, 2 (Dosa Junior 34, Rui Miguel 72), Anderlecht, Belgium, 1 (Dieumerci Mbokani 62).

At Zagreb: Dinamo Zagreb, Croatia, 2 (Duje Cop 10, Milan Badelj 74), Maribor, Slovenia, 1 (Badelj own-goal 39).

At Braga (Portugal): Sporting Braga, Portugal, 1 (Santos Ismaily 68), Udinese, Italy, 1 (Basta 23).

At Malaga (Spain): Malaga, Sapin, 2 (Martin Demichelis 17, Santos Eliseu 34). Panathinaikos, Greece, 0.

Return legs to be played on Aug 28-29