Málaga CF defeated Deportivo Alavés, at La Rosaleda, on matchday 21 of LaLiga SmartBank. The first round of the league competition ended in victory thanks to a goal by Pablo Chavarría.
It was a cold Sunday night in the capital with a good atmosphere in the stands and, on the pitch, the same starting-11 that Pepe Mel opted for last week in Ibiza. The rival is one of the leading teams in the championship with a former Malaguista in the ranks, Moroccan central defender, Abqar.
Not even a minute had passed when Málaga's first shot on goal arrived, the work of Chavarría on the right of the attack. From the outset, MCF competed on an equal footing against the rival who focused on waiting for a counterattack. In 17’, a superb Blue and White counter led to Chavarría assisting Rubén Castro whose attempt was saved by Sivera.
The first half advanced and play remained even. In the 33rd minute, Esteban Burgos was shown his fifth yellow card of the cycle and will be suspended from the next league match. Three minutes later, Jozabed propelled a long shot that just missed the right post. Mel's men kept up the search for the first goal, but at half-time the scoreboard remained all square at 0-0.
Alavés had a good chance in the second half, the work of Abde Rebbach. The rival number '21' came up against a gigantic Yáñez, who saved the goal in a one-on-one. Immediately afterwards came the Malaguista goal. Fran Villalba on the left set up an assist for Chavarría who headed the ball into the net (1-0, 51'). The second consecutive goal for the Argentinean.
Twenty minutes before the end, Málaga CF made their first change. Issa Fomba came on for Rubén Castro, with Chavarría taking over as striker until minute 77 of play, when he was replaced by Loren Zúñiga and received an ovation. What an unforgettable day for 'Chava'.
The fans continued to spur the team on in the closing stages. Juande, for Jozabed, was Mel's last change in 87' to bolster the defence. The Malaguista coach, before 90', was sent off by the referee after an incident resulting from the tension of the final minutes. Alavés tried their luck in stoppage time, but to no avail and the 1-0 victory stayed at Martiricos.
Málaga CF have 19 points after matchday 21, two from safety. Vamos Málaga!
