Día de la Hispanidad with a spectacular atmosphere in the stands to welcome the league leaders. Before the match, David Larrubia was presented with a commemorative shirt for reaching 100 official appearances with Málaga CF.
Sergio Pellicer made several changes compared to the previous match in Santander. In defence, Rafita and Dani Sánchez took the full-back positions in place of Gabilondo and Víctor, while Einar started as the left-sided centre-back, replacing the suspended Montero. On the left wing, a recovered Joaquín returned to the starting line-up instead of Lobete.
It took Málaga less than a minute to create danger. Larrubia made a solo run and fired a shot that came close but didn’t find the net. The goal would arrive shortly after, following a sensational individual play by Joaquín, who set up Chupe in the six-yard box for his third goal of the season (1–0, 9’).
Málaga’s excellent opening 15 minutes were capped off with another chance for Larrubia, a dangerous shot from the number 10 after a pass from Dani Sánchez. Antonio Hidalgo’s Dépor, Hidalgo being an icon of Málaga’s last promotion to the top flight in the 2007/08 season, had their first big chance in the 17th minute, when Eddahchouri went one-on-one with Alfonso Herrero, who made a fine reflex save. Herrero denied the equaliser again in the 22nd minute with a superb stop following a corner for Deportivo.
Just past the half-hour mark came Málaga CF’s second goal, and Chupe’s second of the game, as he made no mistake on a deadly counterattack (2–0, 32’). It was the homegrown striker’s second brace of the season, making him the clear top scorer with four goals in the league.
Before half-time, Mario Soriano nearly made it 2–1 with a long-range effort that struck the crossbar in the 43rd minute. Málaga went into the break with a two-goal lead.
The script from the end of the first half was almost perfectly repeated after the restart. In the 47th minute, Soriano struck a powerful shot, but once again the outstanding Herrero came up big between the posts. Moments later came Málaga’s third goal, a fantastic run down the right from Rafa, followed by a precise shot that slipped in by Germán’s post (3–0, 49’). It was the Sevilla-born midfielder’s third goal of the 2025/26 season.
In the 51st minute, Eddahchouri scored a goal that was disallowed by the referee after a VAR review for a foul by the forward on Murillo. In the 60th minute, Pellicer made a double substitution: Lobete and Darko came on for Joaquín and Rafa. Larrubia nearly extended the lead with a long-range effort in the 71st minute, and a minute later Málaga made their second double change: Gabilondo and Dotor replaced Rafita and Juanpe.
The fans pushed their team toward victory as Dépor tried to close the gap and get back into a game that was slipping away with every passing minute. In minute 86, Chupe received a standing ovation as he was substituted by Jauregi. In stoppage time, to the chant of “Málaga, la bombonera”, Julen Lobete had two chances to score a fourth before the final whistle.
The 3-0 win gives Málaga CF a valuable victory that temporarily lifts them to 15th place in LALIGA HYPERMOTION with 11 points after nine matches played. Vamos, Málaga!
