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The away side got off to the perfect start when Duda knocked the ball in at the far post inside the fourth minute. Malaga attacked down the right, sent in a perfect cross and with Simao still asleep, Duda made no mistake.

Duda nearly doubled Malaga’s advantage in the seventh minute when he went on a great run. The forward dodged past numerous Atletico players before De Gea came out to smother the danger at the feet of the attacker.

Atletico were rocking and Malaga looked the more refreshed of the sides and the most likely to score again. The away team had all the time in the world to play the ball across the midfield as the Atletico defence could not form a straight line and the attackers were nowhere to be seen.

Felipe Caicedo nearly got in behind in the 22^nd minute but the Atletico defence seemed to click for a split second as Antonio Lopez covered with a perfect tackle. However, it was clear that Malaga had the more passion. Toribio in particular was running around the pitch like a maniac and trying to win every single ball.

Malaga should have been 2-0 up through Fernando by the half an hour mark. Simao gave away a needless foul, which allowed Duda to curl a deadly free kick towards the box. Fernando met the ball on the volley and watched helplessly as it hit the post and bounced out of play. Duda then smashed a ball for Caicedo, which bounced of Luis Perea and nearly looped into the net. Needless to say, the home crowd were not happy.

Atletico’s best chance of the half came as half time was quickly approaching. Simao made up for some earlier errors by crossing in a pinpoint free kick, which found Camacho. The Atletico number six steered the ball at goal but Munua got down quickly and saved well.

Atletico appealed to the referee for some harsh punishment towards Weligton after he thundered into an Atletico player. Players have been sent off for less but the referee produced a yellow and ensured it would be eleven against eleven at the start of the second half. Malaga looked the better side for all of the first 45 minutes and took a healthy lead into the break.

The Atletico response was to make a double change. Jose Reyes and Sergio Aguero both came on for the start of the second-half and they were badly needed by the home team. They certainly injected some energy into Atletico’s performance, in Aguero’s case, maybe a little too much as he was booked almost instantly.

Atletico were shaping up a little better but the intelligence in the attacking third was still missing. Simao found himself in a superb position just before the hour mark but his ball in was terrible and the efforts of red and white striped players to get into the box was wasted. Malaga maintained their stability and introduced Baha to make sure the ship stayed steady.

Malaga still retained an air of threat. Jesus Gamez raced through in the 62^nd minute but was foiled by the linesman’s flag. It was becoming evident that Atletico would leave gaps as they went in search of the equalising goal. The Malaga skipper injured himself in the process and had to be subbed off immediately.

Baha very nearly had a good chance in the 70^th minute. A looping ball over the top was nodded down into his path, but the Malaga attacker couldn’t get a foot on it to make the space as an Atletico defender poked it clear.

Javi Lopez then found Malaga’s second goal with a brilliant finish. Baha whipped in a ball from the right hand side, which beat every player in the box. Lopez took a gamble on it, ran in at the far post and slotted in with authority.

That goal seemed to spark Atletico into life. They should have responded within a matter of minutes. Aguero found space just outside the Malaga penalty area and chipped a ball over the defence. Alvaro Dominguez met the ball on the volley and powered it inches wide of the far post. However, the home side needed a goal with only 15 minutes of the game left.

With time running out, Atletico started to pile on the pressure. Simao beat two men down the right wing as the game entered the final ten minutes. The chip into the box was superb but no one took a gamble to get on the end of it. Aguero then curled a shot on target a few minutes later, but Munua was equal to the task and parried away. 

AMSTERDAM (AP)—FC Twente scored twice in as many second-half minutes to beat
Roda JC 2-0 Sunday and move level on points with Dutch league leader PSV
Eindhoven, which could only manage a scoreless draw at Vitesse Arnhem.

Twente’s Kenneth Perez scored in the 71st minute after collecting a through
pass from Wout Brama. A minute later, Ruiz tapped in a pass from Miroslav Stoch
to give Steve McClaren’s side a deserved win.

Twente goalkeeper Sander Boschker set a club record by playing his 529th
match.

PSV, knocked out of the Dutch Cup midweek by Feyenoord, played out a 0-0
draw in Arnhem but stayed top on goal difference.

Earlier, fierce rivals Feyenoord and Ajax drew 1-1.

Marko Pantelic gave Ajax the lead in the 25th minute when he ran on to a
pass from Demy de Zeeuw and slotted the ball past goalkeeper Rob van Dijk.

Ajax could have extended the lead, but shots from Luis Suarez and Urby
Emanuelson went just wide before the break.

Playing in front of only Feyenoord fans in Rotterdam because away supporters
have been banned from matches between the clubs, Feyenoord started strongly
until conceding the goal.

“The first time we lost concentration we went 1-0 down,” Feyenoord coach
Mario Been said.

Feyenoord equalized in the 67th when Georginio Wijnaldum gathered a mis-kick
from Urby Emanuelson and rounded goalkeeper Martin Stekelenburg to score.

“Obviously I’d prefer to win, but I can live with a draw,” Been said.

In Sunday’s other match, Utrecht drew 0-0 with Heracles Almelo.

Juventus have reportedly agreed terms with Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez, with the Spaniard set to take charge of the Serie A side from the start of next season.

According to the Independent, Juventus’ lawyers are due in England on Sunday for talks about releasing Benitez from his current Anfield contract.

The broadsheet claims that the Turin side’s president Jean-Claude Blanc is keen to reach an agreement and has: “…already fixed everything with [Rafael] Benitez and has in his drawer a detailed agreement of his terms and length of contract.”

The Italian’s have recently dismissed Ciro Ferrara as coach after a poor run of results and appointed Alberto Zaccheroni as caretaker manager until the end of the season.

Benitez, meanwhile, signed a new five-year deal with Liverpool last March, which runs until 2014.

However, after a poor season in which the Reds have been knocked-out of the Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup, speculation continues to mount regarding his future at the club.

Having been linked with Juventus in recent weeks Benitez admitted he was flattered to hear of the Italians’ interest, but insisted his focus remains with Liverpool as they seek to resurrect a poor campaign by earning Champions League qualification.

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