The Blue and Whites, 15th in the table with 52 points (three points behind 9th place), visit an Elche side sitting in 3rd place with 71 points, the same as CD Mirandés, who are in 2nd place and currently in the automatic promotion spots to the First Division.
Jon Ander González Esteban will referee the match. The 40-year-old from the Basque Country is finishing his sixth season in the Second Division. This will be the first match he officiates for Málaga CF in the 2024/25 season and the fifth for Elche CF (3 wins, 1 draw). Asturian referee Miguel González Díaz will be in charge of the VAR.
Players in common Elche CF-Málaga CF
Santi Verdú, Victoriano, Ocio, Axier, Zúñiga, Guede, Zárate, Cristian Díaz, Paco Esteban, Perico, Usero, Armando, Saúl, José Juan Luque, Peragón, Lolo, Pere Martí, Xavi Torres, Willy Caballero, Albentosa, Héctor Hernández, Adrián González, Cifuentes, Lombán, Alexander González, Tete Morente, Diego González, Axel Werner, Febas and Luismi.
(*) Aarón Ñíguez, a former Elche CF player (2012–15), was part of Málaga CF during the 2019/20 season but never made an official appearance wearing the Blue and White jersey.
Coaches in common Elche CF-Málaga CF
‘Tolo’ Plaza
(*) Víctor Sánchez del Amo and Pablo Adrián Guede, former Málaga CF managers, were both Elche CF players.
Players in common Elche CF-CD Málaga
Pierita, Baceta, Camoto, Maciá, Vicente Olivares, Quiles, Pahuet, Lasheras, Gento, Rovira, Burgueña, Fernando Rodríguez, Emilio, Chirri, Antonio Monreal and Adolfo
(*) Pepelu, Atlético Malagueño player, was also part of Elche CF
Coaches in common Elche CF-CD Málaga
Barrios, Otto Bumbel, Juan Ramón, Marcel Domingo, Kubala and Luis Costa
Match info
• Alfonso Herrero is the only Malaguista to have played every single minute (3,600) of all the matches in LALIGA HYPERMOTION. The goalkeeper from Toledo ranks second in the league for saves, with a total of 144, an average of 3.60 per game.
• Dioni, with seven goals, is Málaga's top scorer in the league. Agustín Álvarez, with eight goals, is the top scorer for the home side.
• Chupe, after his brace during the last matchday against Sporting, now has four goals with the first team. Combined with the 24 he has scored for Atlético Malagueño, he totals 28 goals so far this season.
• Víctor is out due to suspension after accumulating yellow cards. Dioni and Chupe are one booking away from suspension, each with four yellow cards. Einar is available again after serving a suspension last matchday.
• Málaga CF have recorded two wins, 10 draws, and eight losses (16 points) in 20 away league matches, scoring 20 goals and conceding 28.
• Elche CF, the second-best home team in the division, have obtained 14 wins, three draws, and three losses (45 points) in 20 home matches, with 35 goals scored and 15 conceded.
Stats and facts
• This is the fifth time Málaga CF and Elche CF face each other at the Martínez Valero stadium in the Second Division. The previous four matches all ended with home team victories.
• Additionally, in official matches, there have been three more encounters at the Martínez Valero: two in the First Division, both won by Málaga (0-1 in the 2013/14 season and 1-2 in 2014/15), and one in the Segunda División B (a 2-0 home win for Elche in 1995/96). Málaga CF’s overall record in Elche stands at two wins and five losses, with 4 goals scored and 11 conceded.
• Elche CF is the third team that has played the most matches against CD Málaga in history, after Murcia and Granada. The two clubs have faced each other a total of 57 times, the first five matches under the name CD Malacitano. Interestingly, a legend of the Elche bench, Felipe Mesones, is the coach who faced CD Málaga the most times (22) in official matches.
• The last historic clash on Alicante soil between Elche CF and CD Málaga took place on 17th March 1991. It was matchday 26 of the 1990/91 Second Division season, and Málaga won 0-1 thanks to a goal in the 36th minute by the Cameroonian player Makanaky.
• In the eight seasons Málaga CF have played in the Second Division, on matchday 41, they recorded three wins, two draws, and three losses.
