UEFA Cup, third round first leg

Wolfsburg 2 - Atlético de Madrid 3

Atlético: Molina; Gaspar, Santi, Gustavo, Toni, Aguilera, Bejbl, Baraja (Valerón), Solari (Roberto); José Mari (Correa), Hasselbaink. 4-4-2.

Defender Carlos Aguilera was both hero and villain in this third round match. Playing wide in front of a back four without Chamot and Capdevila, the ex Spanish international scored twice and then gave away a penalty. His first came early in the match, silencing the local supporters as he turned in Bjebl's cross. Wolfsburg equalised after 20 minutes through Juskowiak, but Hasselbaink restored the lead before halftime with a free kick which found a gap in the Germans' defensive wall. Aguilera got his second in the second half after a good pass from José Mari, but eight minutes from time he gave away the penalty which Akonnor converted. This was Atlético's one hundredth victory in Europe, and if things go according to form it will not be their last this season. The match, which was played in freezing conditions, was brought forward to Tuesday night at Wolfsburg's insistence so as not to clash with other matches involving German teams playing on Thursday.

Celta 7 - Benfica 0

Celta: Dutruel; Velasco, Cáceres, Djorovic, Juanfran (Coira); Giovanella, Makelele; Karpin, Mostovoi (Tomás), Gustavo López; Turdó (McCarthy). 4-2-3-1.

A magnificent performance by the Gallician side who inflicted a record score against one of the historically best teams in Europe. Some 800 Benfica supporters made the relatively short journey to Vigo, just over the border from Portugal, and they all wished they were elsewhere before too long. Incredibly all seven goals came within a 45 minute period in the first hour of the match, with Alexander Mostovoi on brilliant form scoring one (the fifth) and having a hand in three more. Karpin scored two, the first from a penalty after Gustavo López was fouled, and the sixth from a header from a Gustavo López cross. Turdó also got a pair, taking Mostovoi's pass and lobbing Enke for the third, and converting Gustavo López's cross for the seventh and last on the hour mark. Makele got the second after a one two with Mostovoi, and hairdresser Juanfran also got in on the act heading the fourth thanks to a well placed corner from the Russian. Halfway through the second half Víctor Fernández was already thinking of Sunday's game with Real Madrid, and he rested three of his goalscorers, Turdó, Mostovoi and Juanfran, bringing on McCarthy, Tomás and also Coira, who has hardly played this season. Benfica returned to a hostile reception from stunned fans after their worst ever defeat in their long European history.

Ajax 0 - Mallorca 1

Mallorca: Burgos; Olaizola, Nadal, Siviero, Miguel Soler; Lauren, Engonga, Chichi Soler, Stankovic (Carreras); Biagini (Carlos), Tristán. 4-4-2.

Mallorca manager Fernando Vázquez realised a long term dream to win against ex European champions Ajax in their own stadium. Mallorca have long been the best defensive side in Spain, and they needed all their skills and luck to keep out the Ajax strikers in the first half, with Brian Laudrup in particular hitting both posts with one shot near to half time. Diego Tristán got the only goal of the match in the 35th minute with yet another brilliant solo effort, lobbing one defender with a 'sombrero' and dribbling past the rest of the defence before beating Grim. In the second half Grim was called upon to make a series of saves as Mallorca came out on the counterattack, and the island side could have even gone away with a bigger victory as Carlos fluffed a chance and Carreras hit a post in the last few minutes. This was the first time that a Spanish team has beaten Ajax in their own stadium after ten attempts. Mallorca now go on to play the Ajax first team (sorry, Barcelona) next weekend without keeper Burgos who has been suspended for eleven matches after punching Espanyol's Serrano. They must be grateful though that the ban does not extend to the UEFA cup, as they will undoubtedly need Argentina's first choice keeper for the second leg in a fortnight's time.

Deportivo de La Coruña 4 - Panathinaikos 2

Deportivo: Songo'o; Scaloni, Donato, Naybet, Romero; Mauro Silva, Flavio, Fernando, Djalminha; Makaay, Pauleta. 4-4-2.

Deportivo threw away a chance to sentence the tie in the first leg after they let Panathinaikos back into a match which they should have won by a big margin. The league leaders moved into a three goal lead within 13 minutes, with a whirlwind assault on the Greek defence. Fernando headed in Djalminha's free kick for the first, then Pauleta added the second with a shot which took a deflection and crept into the net. Djalminha scored a third with a shot from the edge of the area, but a silly slip by keeper Songo'o who let Warzycha's weak shot through his hands reduced the gap in the 18th minute. Donato scored a remarkable goal on the half hour with a shot from around 40 metres which caught Nikopolidis off his line, his second such goal in a year, and Deportivo went close several times, with Makaay hitting the post once and Djalminha bringing a save from the keeper with a direct corner. However it was the visitors who got the last goal, with Galetto getting in front of Naybet to head past Songo'o in the 67th minute. The result means that Coruña have to go to the infernal Athens stadium knowing that a 2-0 victory for the home side would leave them out of the competition once again before the fourth round stage. On today's showing they should however go through for the first time to that stage.