#1 Malaga (2012-13)
Trending
Qatari investor Sheikh Abdullah Al-Thani bought Malaga in June 2010 and the club has risen to prominence since then. The Albicelestes qualified for the 2012-13 Champions League under the leadership of then manager Manuel Pellegrini and they were drawn alongside Zenit Saint Petersburg, Anderlecht and 7-time winners AC Milan in the group stage.
Malaga started proceedings with two 3-0 wins over Zenit and Anderlecht which was followed by four consecutive draws and that was enough for the Spanish side to qualify for the knock-out stages as group champions. Pellegrini’s side faced Porto in the pre-quarters and they managed to overturn a 1 goal deficit in the first leg by winning 2-0 at home and they were destined to face Borussia Dortmund in the quarters.
After a goalless first leg in Spain, Malaga knew they were in with a genuine chance of reaching the semis. However, all their hopes were shattered as two injury-time goals at the Westfalenstadion helped Dortmund win the game 3-2 which was certainly one of the memorable matches in the history of the competition.
The club were then banned from European competitions next year as a result of its heavy financial debts and Malaga missed out from participating in the 2013-14 Europa League.
