Anelka denies 10-man Milan

UEFA Cup champions Galatasaray beat Deportivo La Coruna 1-0 last night in the European Champions League to motor to top spot in Group B and further enhance their reputation. The Istanbul club, who are also the European Super Cup champions, went a step closer to quarter-final qualification thanks to a goal by their midfielder Suat Kaya.

In the other Group B match, 10-man AC Milan were held 1-1 by Paris Saint Germain and they now trail the Turkish side by two points.

Galatasaray scored the winner in the 11th minute when Suat, fed by striker Hasan Sas, blasted the ball home.

Galatasaray coach Mircea Lucescu acknowledged the match of midfield harrying from both teams was less than pretty, but said the three points earned from such victories were as important as those from stylish games. "We won three points against a very good team. I said before the match that winning was more important than putting on a show of good football," he said after the game.

Milan went ahead through a quality goal by Brazilian Leonardo, who, set up by Demetrio Albertini, clipped the ball into the area with his right foot before deftly finding the net with his left in the 27th minute against one of his former clubs'.

PSG reacted quickly when Nicolas Anelka, fed by a defence-splitting header by Algerian international Ali Benarbia, raced through and calmly fired the ball home three minutes later. Milan's Brazilian defender Roque Junior was sent off in the 42nd minute for a professional foul on Anelka, but the Parisians were unable to force through the one man advantage and at the end had to make do with their first point of the second phase.

In Group A, Austria's Sturm Graz beat Greek side Panathinaikos 2-0 to leave Manchester United still two points clear of Valencia and the Austrians, whose coach Ivica Osim used to coach Panathinaikos, a further point behind.

Goals by Mario Haas and Tomica Kocijan earned Austria's surprise package the 2-0 win, giving them a chance of reaching the quarter-finals after two consecutive defeats.

Haas, who moved back from Strasbourg during France's winter transfer window, put the home side ahead in the 60th minute, latching on to a through ball before taking it round keeper Antonios Nikopolidis to score. With five minutes to go, Kocijan shot into the bottom right hand corner for their second.