A cold, rainy Sunday afternoon ahead of an Andalusian rivalry clash, with a good number of Cádiz supporters in the stands. Before the match, Sergio Pellicer was honoured for becoming the second coach with the most matches in Málaga CF history, only behind the legendary Joaquín Peiró.
The team wore the brand-new 'Retro 25' kit, which commemorates the 25th anniversary of their return to the top tier of Spanish football with the 'Peiró Boys'. Pellicer made six changes compared to the previous match in Almería: Murillo replaced the suspended Nelson Monte in defence; Juanpe and Izan Merino came in as double pivots for the suspended Luismi and the injured Ramón; Larrubia and Cordero took the offensive flanks in place of Kevin and Lobete; and up front, Baturina replaced Chupe.
The first third of the match was very even, with both teams' defences dominating over the attacks and little presence in either area. The first clear opportunity for Málaga came in the 32nd minute, with a quick counterattack down the left wing that ended with Antoñito Cordero shooting, but David Gil made the save. The Cádiz players, on the other hand, hardly troubled Alfonso Herrero's goal in the first 45 minutes. At half-time, the score was 0-0.
In the second half, the course of the match continued following the same script as the first half. Both Málaga CF and Cádiz CF stuck to their game plans, with the score remaining tied and a lack of clear chances. After the first quarter of an hour in the second half, Pellicer made three substitutions in a single window at the 61st minute: Dioni, Kevin, and Lobete came on for Baturina, Cordero, and Ochoa.
In the 64th minute, Larrubia quickly led a counterattack down the right wing, which ended with a high shot from Kevin Medina on the opposite side. For the visiting team, former Malaguista Ontiveros tried his luck between the wing and the playmaker role, but without any luck or accuracy.
The rain intensified as the fans continued to push their team forward. In the 77th minute, Sangalli replaced Juanpe in the central pivot role. Just a few minutes later, the first goal for Cádiz came. Óscar Melendo scored to put the yellow team ahead (0-1, 83'). Immediately after, the second goal followed. Former Málaga player Matos calmly finished a counterattack to increase the lead and seal the victory (0-2, 85').
Chupe replaced Larrubia in minute 86, making it the last substitution for Málaga. After five minutes of added time, the referee blew the final whistle, confirming a 0-2 victory for Cádiz CF. As a result, Málaga CF remain with 39 points on the table after 30 league matches this season.
