The Malaguistas, 6th with 38 points in the promotion playoff spots, face a León team sitting in 20th place in the standings, in the relegation zone, with 25 points.
Alonso de Ena will officiate #MálagaCultural. The 33-year-old from Zaragoza is in his first season in the Second Division. In the 25/26 campaign, he has officiated Málaga CF twice (a 1-0 home win against Real Sociedad ‘B’ and a 1-1 away draw in Valladolid). José Antonio López from Cantabria will be in charge of VAR.
Players in common Málaga CF-Cultural Leonesa
Solaeta, Emilio, Rafa, Lobato, Álex Gallar, Javi Jiménez, Dioni, Héctor, Buenacasa and Iván Calero
(*) Jaime Moreno, Zelu, José Carlos, Pol Ballesté, and Víctor Ruiz, Atlético Malagueño players, previously played for Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa, as did former Juvenil player Escardó.
(**) Puidgollers, Roberto Carlos, and Quique, players from Málaga CF ‘B’, previously played for Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa.
Coaches in common Málaga CF-Cultural Leonesa
None
(*) David Cabello, former head coach of Málaga CF’s Juvenil ‘A’, coached Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa during the 2020/21 season.
Players in common CD Málaga-Cultural Leonesa
Fernández*, Tavilo*, Ladrón de Guevara*, Rafa, Lareu, Gundemaro, Cesáreo López, Gamonal, Clemades, Seoane and Iglesias
(*) CD Malacitano players
Coaches in common CD Málaga-Cultural Leonesa
None
Match info
• Alfonso Herrero is the only Málaga CF player to have played all 2,160 minutes of the league season. The Toledo-born goalkeeper ranks second in total saves so far (81), behind UD Almería’s keeper Andrés Fernández (83).
• Chupe is Málaga’s highest scorer with 10 goals, just two behind LALIGA HYPERMOTION’s ‘pichichi’, Arribas. Manu Justo, with five goals, is the visitors’ top scorer.
• David Larrubia remains the second-best dribbler in the league with 68 completed dribbles, just one behind the leader, Deportivo’s Yeremay (69).
• Murillo and Dotor are available again after serving their suspension last Monday at Anduva. Izan Merino, Puga, and Einar each have four yellow cards and are one booking away from a suspension.
• Málaga CF, the third-best home side in the division, have recorded seven wins, four draws, and just one defeat in 12 matches at La Rosaleda (25 points), scoring 24 goals and conceding 12.
• Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa have played 12 away matches, recording five wins, one draw, and six losses (16 points), scoring 17 goals and conceding 22.
Stats and facts
• An unprecedented clash at La Rosaleda in the Second Division between Málaga CF and Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa. The only previous meeting was in the first half of the current 25/26 season, with Cultural winning 1-0 at the Reino de León.
• Club Deportivo Málaga and Cultural Leonesa never faced each other in an official match.
• Cultural Leonesa were crowned Second Division champions in the 1954/55 season, which allowed them to play their only historic season in the top flight in 1955/56. Including the current one, they have spent 17 seasons in the second tier. Their previous stint dates back to 2017/18, when they were relegated after finishing 19th with 48 points.
• Atlético Malagueño Aficionados (similar to today’s Málaga ‘C’) faced Cultural Leonesa once in the Campeonato de España de Aficionados, a competition that ran from 1930 to 1987. In the 1968/69 quarterfinal second leg, played at La Rosaleda’s Annexe, the Malaguistas won 3-2 with Ben Barek as their coach.
• In the nine seasons Málaga CF have played in the Second Division, on matchday 25, they have recorded two wins, three draws, and four losses.