The match will be refereed by Álvarez Izquierdo, coincidentally, the third consecutive season he will officiate an Athletic Club-Málaga CF. In the past two campaigns, both matches ended in a draw (1-1 in 2014/15, and 0-0 in 2015/16. The Catalán-born referee has officiated MCF on 18 occasions, all in the First Division, with a balance of 6 victories, 7 draws and 5 defeats for the Blue and Whites.
Players/Coaches in common Athletic-Málaga CF
None
Players in common Athletic-CD Málaga
Ramos (*), Aroma, Bilbao, Garay, Deusto, Uriarte, Burgueña, Martín and Txirri
(*) Under the name, CD Malacitano
Coaches in common Athletic-CD Málaga
Antonio Barrios, Juan Otxoa and Milorad Pavić
To take into account
- Since the last promotion to the First Division in 2008, Málaga CF has accumulated 5 draws in 8 League matches in Bilbao. The result was a 1-1 draw on three occasions (2009/10, 2010/11 and 2014/15) and two 0-0 draws in 2012/13 and 2015/16.
- Malaguista striker, Charles scored the first goal at Nuevo San Mamés stadium, in minute 11 of an Athletic Club-Celta de Vigo (3-2) held on 16th September 2013.
- MCF won twice at the old San Mamés in LaLiga. The 1-3 victory took place in 2000/01, with goals from Movilla, Sandro and Agostinho. In 2005/06 the Blue and Whites won by 1-2, with goals from Edgar and Antonio Hidalgo.
Historical curiosities
- CD Málaga, in their 20 visits in the First Division to San Mamés, never secured a victory at the Bilbao stadium.
- Manuel López “Travieso”, who became a Spain international, played for Athletic Club and FC Malagueño, where he was a player-coach.
The first Athletic Club-Málaga CF
On 27th February 2000, Málaga CF visited the San Mamés stadium for the first time; coincidentally, like this current campaign, it was the 26th match of the competition. Following the tradition, Francis Bravo, as Malaguista captain, made the floral offering to the ‘Pichichi’ bust in the Tribuna of ‘La Catedral’. Joaquín Peiró’s line-up that day consisted of the following players: Contreras; Rojas, Bravo, Larrainzar, Fernando Sanz, Valcarce; Movilla (Sandro 63’), De los Santos, Iznata (Agostinho 63’); Edgar and Darío Silva. The result was a 2-2 draw, with local goals from Urzaiza and Tiko, and Malaguista goals by Darío Silva, and a Movilla penalty.
