The game began with a Racing de Santander under pressure but yet they failed to cause much trouble around Willy Caballero’s goal. Under these circumstances, in the first few minutes, Málaga found spaces and were quickly able to seek out fast attacks, even though they neither were able to disturb the opponent’s goal.
Indeed, in the first 15 minutes there were practically no real chances of a goal. In these moments Racing got a corner that did create some problems for the Malaguista defence, and it was then that the Blue and Whites upped their games, controlling the ball more, and with various Málaga players, such as Seba Fernández, Rondón and Isco, taking shots.
Half an hour in and the moves were becoming noticeably more intense. Arana dealt a death pass but it failed to make it to Cisma and in their rival’s goal area; and Monreal passed to Rondón who took a chance but it narrowly missed Toño’s goal, hitting the post.
Now in the closing stages of the first half, the chances were almost exclusively Málaga’s, as Rondón, Mathijsen and Martín Demichelis kept the pressure up on Racing’s goalkeeper. And these opportunities were the last really important moves of the first 45 minutes which ended 0-0.
The second half began as the first, with Racing looking to surprise, but they had more momentum than success, and it was Málaga’s Isco who took advantage of a rebound in the goal area and scored the match’s first goal in minute 48.
Málaga’s goal didn’t wake Racing up, who looked more and more cornered as Seba, Rondón, Cazorla and Isco walked all over the locals, and Monreal, Duda and Jesús Gámez mixed up the attacks within Manuel Pellegrini’s squad.
And Málaga’s insistence once again paid off: A corner taken by Santi Cazorla was converted into a goal by Mathijsen as he fired the ball passed local goalkeeper, Toño, making it two-nil to Málaga.
Just five minutes later, Racing took advantage f a move between Stuani and Arana to close the gap. 20 minutes to go, the game got more exciting than ever with both teams looking for new opportunities, especially with middle-distance shots that forced the keepers to forcefully intervene.
The last 10 minutes were undoubtedly the most exciting of the game, especially before the extra time. At this time, Málaga secured their third goal when Van Nistelrooy passed to Seba who then shot it to the back of the net, getting another amazing goal for the Blue and Whites. Indeed, there could’ve been another goal, if the linesman had not disallowed one created by the Dutch striker, which was, by all accounts, totally legal.
And so the match ended with an attempt by Santi Cazorla that hit the post, once again highlighting the great level of the international Málaga player who had been consistent throughout the match in which Málaga won over Santander.
At the end the ‘one three’ result means that Málaga is now in fifth on the table, with 20 points, and so strengthening their Europa League positions and they’re now just three away from Levante who are third on the league table.
Match details:
Racing: Toño, Francis, Álvaro, Torrejón, Christian (Luque), Arana, Diop, Adrián, Cisma, Munitis and Koné (Stuani)
Málaga CF: Willy Caballero, Gámez (Sergio Sánchez), Demichelis, Mathijsen, Monreal, Isco, Toulalan, Duda (Maresca), Cazorla, Seba and Rondón (van Nistelrooy)
Goals
0-1 (49’): Isco.
0-2 (66’): Mathijsen.
1-2 (70’) Arana.
1-3: (89'): Seba Fernández
Referee:
Iturralde González (Basque). Yellow cards for Racing’s Arana, Francis and Álvaro; and Málaga’s Toulalan and Duda.
Notes:
13th match of the BBVA League that took place in Los Campos de Sport de El Sardinero, in Santander.
