Lyon, Atletico Madrid shine in Champions League play-offs

French side Lyon stormed closer to a 10th successive Champions League group stage appearance on Wednesday while attack-minded Atletico Madrid also seized control of their play-off tie.

Lyon, who were forced into the qualifying competition after losing their seven-year grip on the French title last season, crushed Anderlecht 5-1.

The French were 4-0 ahead at the break with Miralem Pjanic, Lisandro Lopez, with a penalty, Michel Bastos and Bafetimbi Gomis all on target.

Anderlecht, beaten in Champions League qualifying for the last two seasons, pulled one back through Matias Suarez in the 58th minute, but Claude Puel’s Lyon side restored their four-goal advantage inside five minutes with Gomis grabbing his second of the night.

Atletico Madrid claimed a 3-2 win against Panathinaikos in a tough assignment in Athens in front of 60,000 fans in the city’s Olympic Stadium.

The visitors took a 1-0 lead in the 36th minute when Diego Forlan set up Maxi Rodriguez who took the ball around Panathinaikos goalkeeper Mario Galinovic to score.

Panathinaikos striker Dimitris Salpingidis had a ‘goal’ disallowed while French striker Djibril Cisse missed a handful of opportunities.

Panathinaikos levelled in the 47th minute when Salpingidis flicked the ball over Atletico keeper Sergio Asenjo.

However, Forlan restored the Spaniards’ lead in the 63rd minute when he followed-up Rodriguez’s blistering drive which had come back off the goalpost.

Argentine striker Sergio Aguero made it 3-1 in the 70th minute but Panathinaikos substitute Sebastian Leto closed the gap four minutes later to keep the Greeks in touch for the away leg.

FC Zurich took a huge step closer to playing in the top European competition for the first time 28 years by claiming a 3-0 lead in their play-off first leg at Ventspils.

The Latvian side have never got this close to the group stages in their history, but goals from Johan Vonlathen, Sylvan Aegerter and Dusan Djuriuc look certain to extend that wait.

Debreceni edged closer to becoming Hungary’s first Champions League group stage participants since 1996 when they claimed a 2-1 first-leg advantage at Levski Sofia in Bulgaria.

Laszlo Bodnar gave the Hungarians the lead but Levski levelled at the start of the second period with a fine strike from Cedric Bardon. Fourteen minutes from time, Peter Czvitkovics claimed Debreceni’s second.

Israeli champions Maccabi Haifa were also winners on the road with a goal six minutes from time from substitute Shlomi Arbeitman earning a 2-1 win at FC Salzburg.

Georgian striker Vladimer Dvalishvili headed Haifa in front before Alexander Zickler equalised on 57 minutes for the Austrians.