The first match of the second round of the competition took place in Oviedo, the final match with Víctor Sánchez del Amo at the helm of the Blue and Whites. That 1-1 draw gave Málaga the first of the 31 points from the second round of the league.
The new coaching team, headed up by Sergio Pellicer, enjoyed an unbeatable start. At La Rosaleda, against Ponferradina, matchday 23 ended in victory by 1-0 with a goal from Antoñín in minute 2’, and one of the homegrown players who had great presence in the final stretch of the competition made his debut, Córdoba-born defender, Juande.
Pellicer’s Málaga obtained 30 points in 20 matches, accumulating seven victories, nine draws and four losses, scoring 17 goals and conceding 13 (+4). In 12 of these 20 games (60%), MCF kept a clean sheet. In addition, in the last 10 matches, with only one defeat in Gijón (2-1), the team didn’t concede a goal in eight of them, with ‘Zamora’ Munir maintaining a clean sheet between matchdays 35 and 39.
Although the group stats are remarkable, in terms of the individual, Tete Morente stood out. The winger, who arrived from CD Lugo in the winter transfer window, scored two goals with a value of +6 points (he scored in the 2-0 wins at home against Racing and Alcorcón) and provided three goal assists for his teammates, with a top level performance in 15 matches played (1.095 minutes). Sadiku is the undisputed 'pichichi', scoring six of his 13 goals in the second round.
In terms of numbers, by doubling the 31 points scored between matches 22 and 42, the result would be a total of 62 points. In the absence of the Fuenlabrada match against Dépor, the top 6 in playoff positions is occupied by Elche CF in sixth place…with 61 points. Evidence of the good work of the coaching team and players in the longest, most complex season in the history of the Second Division.
