Sunday’s clash between the Bilbaínos and Malaguistas will be officiated by Alejandro José Hernández Hernández from the Canary Islands, who up to now has refereed Málaga CF in 10 official matches, broken down as follows:
- 7 in the First Division (with 2 victories, 2 draws and 3 defeats)
- 2 in the Second Division (with 2 draws)
- 1 Copa del Rey game (1 victory)
Players and coaches in common Athletic Club-Málaga CF
None
Players in common Athletic Club-CD Málaga
Ramos (*), Aroma, Garay, Deusto, Uriarte, Burgueña, Martín and Txirri
(*) Under the CD Malacitano name
Coaches in common Athletic Club-CD Málaga
Antonio Barrios, Juan Otxoa and Milorad Pavić
To take into account:
- Málaga CF has visited Bilbao 16 times in the First Division, with a balance of 2 victories, 7 draws and 7 defeats.
- On matchday 25 of the previous 16 seasons in the First Division, Málaga CF has obtained 9 victories, 2 draws and 5 defeats.
- Luis Hernández, Adrián Luis Hernández, Chory Castro and Recio, on a cycle of four yellow cards, are the Malaguistas on the brink of sanction.
- Athletic have scored 15 points from their 11 home games in LaLiga. They have accumulated 3 victories, 6 draws and 2 defeats, scoring 8 goals (scored the least number of goals of the competition at their ground) and conceding 6 (the third team behind Atlético and Barcelona to concede the fewest goals at their home ground).
- CD Málaga reached the semi-finals of the then-named Copa del Generalísimo, held in 1973, against Athletic Club de Bilbao.
Duda and Recio, goals with a taste of permanency:
- 2009/10 season, matchday 36. Muñiz’s Málaga visited Bilbao and claimed a valuable draw at San Mamés (1-1), which was ultimately decisive in salvation. The Malaguista goal, an Olympic goal, was the work of Duda.
- 2010/11 season, matchday 37. A year later, MCF mathematically sealed First Division permanency away to Athletic. Again, the result was a draw (1-1), with a young Recio scoring for Pellegrini’s team.
