There was a great atmosphere in the stands at Martiricos, with a notable presence of Sporting fans who travelled to Málaga. Pellicer stuck with the formation used in recent weeks and made only two changes, both in defence: Pastor replaced the suspended Einar in the centre, and Víctor took the left-back spot from Dani Sánchez, who was sidelined due to physical discomfort.
The first real chances came just before the 15-minute mark. Gelabert created a couple of dangerous moments for Sporting in the 11th minute. In the 15th, Chupe forced a good save from former Málaga goalkeeper Yáñez. The Asturians threatened again in the 22nd minute, but a crucial tackle from Nelson Monte denied Otero from scoring.
The match progressed with little action in the penalty areas until the 40th minute, when the goalkeepers took centre stage. Herrero pulled off a near-impossible save on the goal line from an Otero shot. In the next play, Antoñito fired a low shot from the right angle, which Rubén Yáñez managed to block with some difficulty. The score remained 0-0 at half-time.
Right after the restart, David Larrubia struck the crossbar in the very first minute of the second half. The tone of the match didn’t change much, as the defences continued to dominate the attackers, until Juan Otero broke the deadlock for Real Sporting in the 59th minute (0-1).
Immediately afterward, Pellicer brought on Manu Molina and Dioni to replace Izan Merino and Lobete. Málaga CF quickly drew level with a moment of absolute brilliance. Larrubia broke down the right wing and delivered a perfect assist to Chupe, who improvised a stunning backheel finish into the net (1-1, 67’). A spectacular goal from the young striker.
The equaliser fired up the team, and even more so the unwavering Blue and White fans. In the 77th minute, Gabilondo came on for Murillo to take over the right-back position. Shortly after, Chupe once again showed his striker’s instinct and completed a magnificent brace (2-1, 83’). The forward, greeted with a standing ovation, left the pitch alongside Larrubia in the 88th minute, replaced by Juanpe and Rafa.
After six minutes of stoppage time, during which Rafa and Antoñito each had chances to extend the lead on counterattacks, the referee's final whistle signalled a moment of total unity between the team and the fans, sealing the 2-1 victory.
With this result, Málaga CF now have 52 points after 40 LALIGA HYPERMOTION matches, virtually securing their place in the second tier of Spanish football. Vamos, Málaga!