Sporting has only beaten MCF once in their previous league clashes, have drawn twice, and have lost three matches.  And there’s always been one common denominator: Málaga always score goals.  Indeed, in the last three visits to El Molinón, there has been an unexpected goal scorer: Weligton, who has scored three out of his five First Division goals at Gijón’s home ground.
 
Málaga accumulate, for the first time this season, four league matches without winning, with two draws and two defeats.  Sporting haven’t scored more than twice in the last 34 league matches at home, with 12 wins, 11 draws and 11 defeats.  The ‘rojiblancos’ have only won one of their last five League games, accumulating four defeats.

Anecdotally, both Pellegrini and Preciado are the BBVA League managers who have trained the most amount of teams, a total of three each.  The Chilean has never lost against Sporting in the League, conceding only one draw in six matches in his time as manager of Real Madrid.