A Saturday afternoon with a notable attendance of 23,862 fans at Martiricos. On the pitch, Pellicer made six changes to his starting line-up compared to the previous match in Albacete. Three in defence, with Gabilondo and Víctor replacing Puga and Dani Sánchez as full-backs, and Einar taking Pastor's place in the centre of defence; and three in midfield, with Larrubia and Kevin coming in on the wings for Antoñito and Yanis, and Juanpe in the pivot position instead of Izan Merino.
The start of the match was perfect for the Malaguista interests. The initial dangerous attack led to the first goal, scored by Lobete after a pass from Kevin Medina, with a precise shot from the Basque forward that found the back of the net (1-0, 9'). Three minutes later, the referee issued a yellow card to Juanpe, his fifth of the season, which means he will be suspended.
Racing Club Ferrol felt the blow and barely threatened Alfonso Herrero's goal in the first third of the match. Meanwhile, Málaga stuck to their game plan, looking for long possessions with the ball to wear down their rival. They didn’t rule out quick transitions, such as the one that led to a shot from Larrubia in the 34th minute, which went straight into the goalkeeper's hands.
And, before half-time, Málaga scored their second. Juanpe made an interior pass to Lobete, who crossed from the left and found David Larrubia at the far post, where he headed the ball into the net (2-0, 39'). It was Larrubia's fourth league goal of the season. Immediately after, Gabilondo received his fifth yellow card of the season, meaning he will be suspended for the match against Oviedo.
In the second half, Pellicer made two changes: Puga and Manu Molina came on for Gabilondo and Juanpe. The Ferrol side tried to push higher and create some chances in the early moments of the second half, but Málaga's defence remained very solid and focused.
In the 61st minute, Yanis Rahmani replaced Kevin Medina. Shortly after, the visitors had their clearest chance, with a shot from Álvaro Giménez hitting the side of the net. Chupe replaced Dioni in the attack from the 70th minute. The final Málaga substitution came in the 82nd minute, with Sangalli coming on for the highly applauded Julen Lobete.
The crowd enjoyed the victory, lifting their team with enthusiasm. In the final stages, the Ferrol side tried to reduce the gap with more heart than football, but the score remained 2-0. An important victory and 42 points (+7 points above the relegation zone) for Málaga CF after 32 matchdays in LALIGA HYPERMOTION. Vamos, Málaga!
