The Malaguista side, currently in 11th place in the standings with 31 points (prior to the start of the matchday), will host the Maño team, with 30 points and in 12th place in the table.
The match will be officiated by Oliver De la Fuente Ramos. The 33-year-old referee from Valladolid is in his 11th season (215 matches) in the Second Division. This season, he refereed Málaga CF on matchday 17, which ended in a 2-0 defeat for the Blue and Whites in Castellón. In charge of VAR will be Madrid-born official David Gálvez Rascón.
Players in common Málaga CF-Real Zaragoza
Cornago, Movilla, Sánchez Broto, Antonio Hidalgo, Apoño, Eliseu, Lolo, Pablo Barros, Uche, Roberto, Borja Bastón, Erik Morán, Juankar, Buenacasa, Adrián González, Peybernes, Febas, Delmás, Manu Molina, Iván Calero and Keidi Bare
(*) Ex-Malaguista Jorge Pina, current assistant coach of MCF’s Juvenil ‘A’, played for Real Zaragoza ‘B’
Coaches in common Málaga CF-Real Zaragoza
Marcos Alonso and Natxo González
Players in common CD Málaga-Real Zaragoza
Alonso*, Olivares, Ramos, Sagrado, Elzo, Lasheras, Vidal, Vallejo, Goicoechea, Bustillo, Heredia, Modesto, Pineda and Belman
(*) As CD Malacitano
(**) Antonio Iznata, Juvenil player with CD Málaga, was also part of Real Zaragoza
Coaches in common CD Málaga-Real Zaragoza
Antonio Sorribas*, Manuel Olivares, Francisco Bru, Luis Urquiri, Juan Otxoa, Domingo Balmanya and Luis Costa
(*) As CD Malacitano
Players who debuted with Málaga CF against Real Zaragoza at La Rosaleda
• Wanchope (Málaga CF 0-0 Real Zaragoza, 12/09/2004)
• Lobato (Málaga CF 0-3 Real Zaragoza, 10/01/2007)
Match info
• Alfonso Herrero is the only Malaguista who has played every single minute (2,070) of all matches in LALIGA HYPERMOTION. The goalkeeper from Toledo leads the league in saves, with a total of 103 (4.47 per game), and is currently ranked second in the Trofeo Zamora standings.
• Dioni, with five goals, is Málaga's top scorer so far this season. Iván Azón, with seven goals, is the visiting team's leading scorer.
• Nelson Monte and Víctor García are the Malaguistas one booking away from a suspension, both having accumulated four yellow cards.
• Málaga CF recorded five wins, five draws, and one loss at home in LALIGA HYPERMOTION (20 points) across 11 matches, with 11 goals scored and 7 conceded.
• Real Zaragoza, away from home, achieved four wins, four draws, and four losses (16 points) in 12 matches, scoring 17 goals and conceding 14.
Stats and facts
• This will be the sixth time Málaga CF and Real Zaragoza face off at La Rosaleda in the Second Division. In their previous five encounters, MCF won 3-1 in the 2018/19 season and 3-0 in 2022/23; drew 1-1 in 2021/22; and lost 0-1 in 2019/20 and 1-2 in 2020/21.
• In addition, MCF and Zaragoza have met on 12 other occasions at Martiricos: 10 in the First Division and two in the Copa del Rey. The Malaguistas have recorded four wins, five draws, and three losses against the Aragón side.
• CD Málaga played twice at home against Real Zaragoza in the Second Division. They secured a draw (0-0) in the 1946/47 season and a victory (3-0) in the 1977/78 season with Viberti as the Malaguista coach. The goals were scored by Aráez, Migueli, and Juan Carlos Pérez-Frías.
• A brilliant brace from Manolo Canillas: The ‘Lion of La Palmilla’ was the standout player in the last historic victory by CD Málaga over Real Zaragoza at La Rosaleda. This occurred on matchday 9 of the 1984/85 season in the First Division, with a 2-0 win thanks to two goals from Canillas.
• In the eight seasons Málaga CF have played in the Second Division, their record on matchday 24 includes four draws and four defeats.