A cold and rainy night in Cádiz, with a good number of Málaga supporters travelling from the capital. Before the game started, a heartfelt minute of silence was observed for those who lost their lives due to flooding caused by the DANA storms in several areas of Spain, especially in the Comunidad Valenciana.
Sergio Pellicer fielded a lineup full of new faces, with Carlos López in goal; Murillo, Moussa, Pastor, and Víctor in defence; Izan Merino, Sangalli (captain), and Ochoa in midfield; Yanis and Lobete on the wings, and Baturina as the striker.
Julen Lobete, from the left side of the attack, took the first shot on goal in the 3rd minute. Estepona, meanwhile, earned a couple of corner kicks in the first 10 minutes. Their forward, Ekiotz, tested Carlos López’s reflexes in minute 12 with the first dangerous shot from Oriol Riera’s team. Two minutes later, Rubén Mesa attempted a header.
Málaga maintained greater possession and had some territorial control. Yanis, cutting in from the right, was the most active alongside Lobete in the first third of the match. Just before the half-hour mark, a corner kick was headed by Sangalli, and the opposing goalkeeper blocked it. Baturina seized the rebound, heading it into the net (1-0, 29’).
Izan nearly scored a second goal in the 36th minute with a powerful shot from outside the box that struck the right post. The first half ended with a narrow lead for the Blue and Whites.
At the start of the second half, Izan Merino appeared once again. The homegrown midfielder tried his luck with another long-range shot that Liceras deflected for a corner in the 53rd minute. Shortly after, Estepona levelled the score through their captain Rubén Mesa (1-1, 59’). Pellicer then made a double substitution: Puga and Manu Molina came on for a booked Murillo and Ochoa (61’).
In the 68th minute, Carlos López made a remarkable save to prevent Estepona’s second goal. Antoñito and Kevin came on to refresh the attack on the wings, replacing Yanis and Lobete (71'). The fifth Málaga substitution saw Sergio Castel come on in the 77th minute for the goal-scorer Baturina.
In the final moments of regulation time, Málaga CF pushed hard for a winning goal. After the 90-minute mark, Kevin and Manu Molina attempted long-range shots that narrowly missed the crossbar. However, the score remained 1-1, sending the match into extra time.
Larrubia came on for Izan as Málaga's sixth substitute, completing the 30 minutes of extra time. The number 10 almost scored in the 96th minute with a powerful shot that skimmed the post. However, Jorge García put Estepona ahead with an impressive goal, making it 2-1 in the 102nd minute.
In minute 112, Sergio Castel was shown a direct red card after the referee deemed he had committed an aggressive foul. Then, in the 116th minute, Dago scored to extend Estepona’s lead to 3-1. Just two minutes later, David Larrubia narrowed the gap with a stunning goal, bringing the score to 3-2 and adding tension to the final moments. However, the match ultimately ended with CD Estepona advancing with that scoreline.