A festive atmosphere (26,012 fans) welcomed the league leaders on an ideal Saturday night for football. On the pitch, Pellicer made three changes to the line-up compared to the previous match in Zaragoza. In defence, Puga and Pastor replaced Gabilondo and the injured Einar; in attack, Yanis took Kevin's place on the left wing due to suspension.
It took Málaga just three minutes to create their first dangerous chance. A cross from Yanis and a header from Manu Molina that was inches from the post. Racing's response came in the 8th minute, with a venomous header from Rodríguez.
The team of former Malaguista José Alberto, with a high defensive line, allowed the Blue and Whites the opportunity to counterattack quickly with plenty of space. The clearest chance came in the 24th minute, when Yanis Rahmani found himself one-on-one with the opposing goalkeeper, dribbled past him, and his slightly off-target shot just missed the goal.
In the 35th minute, it was Víctor, coming in from the left, who forced Ezkieta into action to deny Málaga's first goal. Then, in the 41st minute, there was a double chance for Baturina and, immediately after, Lobete, with both shots brilliantly saved by Ezkieta. At half-time, the score remained 0-0, with a loud ovation from the fans recognising the excellent performance of Sergio Pellicer's team.
In the second half, there was a change in the striker position with Dioni replacing Baturina. In the 49th minute, Lobete, receiving a cross from Larrubia, tried to beat the in-form visiting goalkeeper in the small box. Racing levelled things out, with their dominance becoming more evident, as Málaga’s superiority in almost every aspect of the game from the first half was no longer as noticeable.
In the minute 59, the Blue and Whites made a double substitution: Yanis and Puga were replaced by Gabilondo and Antoñito. The Jerez-born winger, in his first touch of the ball, went for goal with a curling shot that just missed under the crossbar (62’). Málaga continued to execute their game plan effectively, while the league leaders didn’t pose much of a threat near the Málaga goal. In the 68th minute, Castel replaced Lobete, moving Dioni into a playmaker role behind the number ‘25’.
In the 75th minute, Alfonso Herrero, as usual, kept his cool to deny former Malaguista Lago Junior in a clear one-on-one situation. Shortly after, Antoñito made another appearance in the 80th minute with a powerful left-footed shot across goal. In the 83rd minute, Málaga made their final substitution, with Ochoa replacing Larrubia.
The last Malaguista chance came from Dioni. The forward outmuscled the visiting defender to chase down a through ball and advanced toward goal. Despite being closely marked by the centre-back, he unleashed a powerful shot that was saved by Ezkieta. The rebound fell to Aaron Ochoa, but his attempt was blocked by Racing’s defence.
The match ended 0-0. Málaga earned a point, bringing their total to 22, and moved up to 10th place. Next Wednesday, they will face Levante UD at the Ciutat de Valencia.