Málaga CF visited Levante UD for the LaLiga Hypermotion matchday 13 fixture. This game was originally scheduled for 4th November, but the tragic DANA that struck Valencia forced a delay. In tribute to the victims of this natural disaster, Málaga CF wore a commemorative armband with the flag of the Comunidad de Valencia.
Pellicer chose the following starting lineup:
A. Herrero; Jokin, Pastor, Nelson, Dani Sánchez; Manu Molina, Izan; Larrubia, Kevin; Dani Lorenzo, and Dioni.
The match had a lot of anticipation before kick-off, and it didn't disappoint. The game started off very lively and remained intense throughout. Both teams exchanged chances in the opening moments, and after a few close calls, the goals arrived.
Levante took the lead first through Iván Romero. He scored with a powerful header right in the heart of the box. Herrero got a touch on it but couldn’t prevent the goal, ending his impressive streak of 603 minutes without conceding (1-0, 14').
The goal didn’t bring the Blue and Whites down, on the contrary, their response came just two minutes later. Jokin delivered a precise cross from the right wing to Larrubia, who cleverly placed the ball into the back of the net, just inside the far post (1-1, 16’).
Kevin came close to making it 1-2 in the 28th minute. The winger created a curling shot from the edge of the box toward the far post, but the opposing goalkeeper managed to tip it away with his fingertips.
Despite Málaga's continued pressure in the opposing area, Levante UD took the lead again with another goal from Iván Romero. The forward finished with precision, slotting the ball low past the keeper (2-1, 35’).
Kevin came close to scoring once more in the 40th minute. Jokin provided a low pass to the penalty spot, which the ‘11’ struck with power. His fierce shot narrowly missed, hitting the crossbar.
A minute later, the hard-earned equaliser finally came. Larrubia won the ball back in the opposition half and passed it to Kevin, who, with great composure, laid it off in the heart of the box for Dani Lorenzo to finish. The attacking midfielder executed with finesse to make it 2-2 in the 41st minute. The score remained the same as the teams went into half-time.
The second half started just like the first, with high intensity. Kevin tested the goalkeeper from the edge of the box in the 50th minute. He cut in from the left wing, shaped up at the top of the area, and fired a shot just millimetres over the crossbar.
Seven minutes later, Jokin delivered a great cross into the box, which Dioni headed with power. However, the ball once again grazed the post, narrowly missing the target.
In the 62nd minute, a much-anticipated moment arrived for Malaguista fans. Ramón, after several months of injury, made his return to the pitch, replacing Izan Merino. The ‘6’ showed glimpses of his great quality once again in midfield.
Then, from the 81st minute onward, chaos ensued. After a spectacular one-on-one save by Alfonso Herrero against Morales, C. Espi managed to put the home side ahead, capitalising on a scrappy play in the small box.
In the following minutes, Pellicer's men launched a relentless attack, but they couldn’t manage to equalise. In the final play, with the game open and stretched, Levante’s Algobia seized on a counterattack to seal the excessive 4-2 scoreline.
Málaga CF will remain in Valencia until their next league match, corresponding to Matchday 17 of LaLiga Hypermotion, against CD Castellón (Sunday, 1st December at 14:00).