Defeat at home and continuity in the division (0-1)
Málaga CF lost out to Burgos CF at La Rosaleda on matchday 41 of LaLiga SmartBank. A goal from Miguel Rubio in 41’ led Calero’s team to victory against the Blue and Whites who will remain in the silver division as their direct rivals also lost.
There was a gala atmosphere at Martiricos for the last home game of the 21/22 season. On the pitch, Pablo Guede repeated the same starting-11 that won by 0-2 in Tenerife last week with just one change: Chavarría substituted Brandon on the attack, who was suspended from this match.
Málaga got off to a good, intense start, seeking rapid transitions to reach the rival area quickly. In 9’ Vadillo wasn’t able to finish a clear one-on-one with Caro. Then in 12’, an action ended in a goal for Chavarría but it was disallowed by the ref for being millimetres offside, a decision ratified by VAR. The highly active Argentinean sent an Isma Casas cross wide in the 24th minute.
After 30 minutes of play there was a hydration break on this warm evening, more typical of summer in Málaga. The visitors made dangerous approaches in the final stretch of the first half. In 40’ with a shot that grazed the post and, immediately afterwards, Miguel Rubio opened the scoring (0-1, 41’). At half-time Calero’s men maintained a minimal advantage.
In the second half, Guede introduced right-back Víctor Gómez in place of Isma Casas. Luis Muñoz generated a couple of dangerous chances at the start of the second half, that found a response in the 55th minute when Saúl Berjón almost finished a counterattack ending in a clearance by Víctor at the side of Dani M’s goal.
Genaro, from in front of the area, launched the ball to the left post in 57’. A minute later there was a double Blue and White substitution: Ramón and Roberto, for Luis Muñoz and Chavarría. Guede’s fourth substitution soon followed, with Sekou coming on for Vadillo (65’).
The match progressed with Burgos holding up pretty well in the face of the onslaught of an MCF who showed more heart than football, but who never gave up on their efforts to go level. After the second hydration break, there was a substitution from one homegrown player to another: Loren Zúñiga for Dani Lorenzo.
In 88’, Roberto tried his luck with a left-footer that sailed over the crossbar. Sekou, with a header, sought a goal on three occasions before the full-time whistle. Loren, in stoppage time, had the clearest chance with a shot that sailed close to the right post. Not forgetting another attempt from Genaro, who tested out Caro's reflexes.
MCF’s final home game of the 21/22 season ended in a 0-1 defeat. Both Amorebieta and Real Sociedad B lost their respective games, meaning the Club has mathematically secured its place in LaLiga SmartBank for another year.
