Málaga CF drew against UD Ibiza at La Rosaleda on matchday 42 of LaLiga SmartBank. Appiah put the Blue and Whites in front in the second half and Juan Ibiza, in the 90th minute, went level in the final match of the 22/23 season.
Saturday afternoon at Martiricos to bid farewell to the 22/23 season. Compared to the previous match in Vitoria, Pellicer made two changes to his starting 11: Álex Calvo - in his first starting line-up with MCF - and Rubén Castro came on for injured Delmás and Lago Junior.
After three minutes Ibiza could have taken the lead, thanks to a powerful shot from Javi Vázquez that Yáñez saved. Málaga didn’t appear on the attack until 22', in an action where Chavarría overcame the rival goalkeeper inside the area. Juande was expeditious in defence, on the day he reached 100 official matches with Málaga CF.
In minute 31, Álex Calvo, very active on the right wing, tried his luck with a shot that sailed close to the crossbar. Two minutes later, veteran Coke made an attempt that grazed the crossbar. Without any actions of note in either area in the final stretch of the first half, the scoreboard remained 0-0 at half-time.
At the start of the second half there was a Blue and White substitution. Arvin Appiah replaced Febas and the formation changed to 1-4-4-2 with Ramalho as number '2' and Calvo ahead as a winger. In 57', Appiah made an individual move that ended with a shot near the left post. Immediately afterwards, the reserve team’s Bilal made his debut in LaLiga SmartBank coming on for Escassi (58').
Appiah, on the edge of the area, hit a strong and well-placed left-footed shot that found the net (1-0, 61'). Chavarría, in 65', narrowly missed out on the team’s second goal in a one-on-one that Germán prevented.
In minute 77 Pellicer made a double substitution. Rubén Castro and Álex Calvo made way for Loren and Rafa, Malagueño midfielder who made his official first team debut. Ibiza sought an equaliser in the closing stages of play with several set pieces, resulting in a goal from Juan Ibiza (1-1, 90').
The 1-1 final result gives Málaga CF one more point in the table, to end the 22/23 season with 44 points in 19th place (provisional) in LaLiga SmartBank. After 25 years in professional football, 17 in the elite and 8 in the Second Division, next season MCF will play in the bronze division of Spanish football.
