Málaga CLUB de FÚTBOL

Málaga unable to beat Barça with a Messi hat-trick

The match between the Malaguistas and ‘Los Culés’ began with Barcelona having more possession whilst Málaga were looking for their own opportunities. It was in one of these moments, about a quarter of an hour in, that came the first real chance for the home side when Isco took a great shot, provoking Valdés to swiftly intervene to stop it flying to the back of the net.  Another goal could have come when he took a corner and a double shot, which were saved once more by Valdés.
                        
Without being too sharp and with Messi as the most involved player in the game, Barcelona were almost exclusively hoarding the ball.  However, minutes later, Málaga found a good opportunity to counter-attack with Isco opening up play on the left by passing to Eilseu who gave it to Ruud Van Nistelrooy, but whose shot was lacking in precision.
 
In the move just before came Barcelona’s first goal.  Messi, in the penalty area, headed the ball from a good pass from the left sending it to the back of Willy Caballero’s goal.
 
From that moment on, Barcelona, lowered their pace but still had possession of the ball.  For his part, Eliseu had another great run of the ball, controlling the left flank, and securing several corners for the Blue and Whites.
 
The first 45 minutes ended with another opportunity for Málaga with Van Nistelrroy once again the lead character, even though on this occasion, despite great control, Mascherano  intervened, meaning the visitors led with a one goal advantage as the half time whistle blew.
 
The second half began without changes in the squads, but certainly with changes on the scoreboard.  Two minutes in and Barcelona, who had picked up pace again, got another goal as Alexis managed to get the ball past Willy Caballero who had saved it twice before.
 
Almost immediately, Barcelona sentenced the game with another goal from Messi, in a classic move the Argentinean controlled the ball up to the Blue and Whites’ area and took a low-flying shot past Caballero.  It was minute 50 and it was three goals to nil for Pep Guardiola’s team.
 
Another half an hour past before there was any other real danger created at La Rosaleda, and it was done so, once again by Messi who, despite an attempted counter-attack by Málaga, took the ball at great speed, and with various changes of momentum, from one side of the pitch to the other.  He scored his hat-trick goal in minute 81, giving the visitors four goals to nil on the scoreboard.
 
With Uruguayan and Venezuelan forwards, Seba Fernández and Salomón Rondón, now on the pitch, the game began to get shaken up.  It was the latter, Rondón, who scored the Blue and Whites only goal as he took advantage of a rebound from Valdeés after a great shot from Recio, who had also joined the team in this second half.
 
With a few more moves that didn’t create too much more threats, it was full-time and Málaga remain with 25 points and in tenth position at the end of the first leg of the BBVA League.