Málaga earn UEFA Cup bow

Málaga CF 1-1 Villarreal CF (Málaga win 2-1 on aggregate)
Málaga CF claimed a place in the UEFA Cup for the first time in their history after a draw with Spanish rivals Villarreal CF earned them victory in one of the three UEFA Intertoto Cup finals.

Breathless finish
However, tonight's match was marked by three late red cards after a breathless finish to the game. Villarreal were only in the final after ES Troyes Aube Champagne were thrown out of the competition in the semi-finals after an ineligible player.

Roteta goal
Defender Mikel Roteta put Málaga, leading 1-0 from their away first leg, ahead on 31 minutes when he deflected Miguel Angel's volley past Villarreal goalkeeper José Manuel Reina and into the net. It was no more than the home side deserved after dominating the first half.

Villarreal equaliser
After the break, though, Villarreal pushed forward as they searched for the two goals they needed to turn the tie around.  They got one of them in the 65th minute when Carlos Aranda connected with a loose ball and chipped over Málaga goalkeeper Pedro Contreras.

Three sendings-off
However, Villarreal could not find the second, and lost striker Villarreal striker Martin Palermo to a red card after a challenge on Málaga defender Josemi, who himself was dismissed in the scenes that followed, as was visiting goalscorer Aranda.

Difficult opponents
But Málaga held on, and more similarly accomplished performances could make them difficult opponents for whoever is drawn against them on Friday when the UEFA Cup first round pairings are made.