AEL Limassol will take a slight advantage to Belgium next week after defeating Anderlecht 2-1 in the first leg of their Champions League playoff tie at home this evening.
Limassol were the first to make the breakthrough after 34 minutes when Dosa Junior scored a close-range free header from Luciano Bebe's corner.
The Belgian visitors, however, came back strongly in the second half and started to dominate proceedings.
They equalised in the 62nd minute when Dieumerci Mbokani combined with Kanu on the edge of the Limassol penalty box, went past his marker and scored with an emphatic shot.
However, Limassol staged a comeback, with Rui Miguel threading his shot into the Anderlecht goal past Silvio Proto in the 72nd minute.
A minute later Milan Jovanovic was given his second yellow card of the game for showing dissent after being substituted.
Anderlecht threw everything forward in an effort to find the equaliser that never came, but still walk away with the away goal for next week's second-leg clash.
Subhankar Mondal
