Malaga battling for Euro berth despite ban

SaturdayGranada vs Valladolid 16:00Real Madrid vs Betis 18:00 Barcelona vs Levante 20:00 Valencia vs Malaga 22:00 SundayGetafe vs Espanyol 12:00 Deportivo vs Athletic 17:00Osasuna vs R Sociedad 19:00 Sevilla vs Atletico 21:00MondayCelta Vigo vs R Zaragoza 22:00 MADRID - With seven games left in the season, Malaga’s players have put the Qatar-owned La Liga club in a strong position to secure a lucrative place in Europe for next term even though they know their efforts could all be in vain.Fifth-placed Malaga, who play at fellow European hopefuls Valencia, one place below them in sixth, on Saturday, have earned a UEFA ban from continental competition from next season due to delays in payments to creditors.They are appealing the sanction at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and are confident they will be allowed to take up their place in the Europa League, Europe’s second-tier club competition, or the elite Champions League if they manage to overhaul fourth-placed Real Sociedad.Their hearing at Lausanne, Switzerland-based CAS is on May 14 and a decision is expected sometime around the middle of June, a Malaga spokesman said on Thursday.Malaga and Valencia both have 50 points from 31 matches, with Malaga ahead thanks to a superior goal difference, while Sociedad, who play at struggling Osasuna on Sunday, are four clear in fourth on 54 points.As well as off-field problems, the players, whose wages were delayed amid doubts over the commitment of owner Sheikh Abdullah Al Thani, have had to cope with the bitter disappointment of this month’s Champions League exit at Borussia Dortmund.They were within touching distance of a place in the last four on their debut in the competition but conceded two goals in added time and the German side went through instead.Malaga picked themselves up to snatch a last-gasp 1-0 win at home to Osasuna last weekend and midfielder Manuel Iturra believes they are in good shape for the end of the campaign.