Due to the absence of Diego in defence and Keidi in the wide area, Pellicer introduced Ismael to the starting-11 on the right and Benkhemassa in midfield, accompanying team captain, Adrián González on his 100th official match wearing the Blue and White jersey.
MCF had more possession in the initial stages of play, against a Deportivo at the back awaiting a counter-attack or set piece, with Aketxe in charge of operations. Before the first quarter of an hour was up, Sadiku and Juanpi tried their luck but skied both attempts over the crossbar.
In 24’ from a direct free kick, Juanpi forced Dani Giménez to deflect a clear Malaguista opportunity with difficulty. Málaga were superior to the rival. Fernando Vázquez’s men, meanwhile, hardly disturbed the goal of the ‘Zamora’ of the division, Munir, who sought his fifth consecutive clean sheet. A cross shot from Asian player, Gaku, in 28’, was the first dangerous approach from the visitors before the first water break.
Dépor improved before half-time, with Aketxe and Emre Colak arriving from the second line, but Málaga, with spaces to run, found Tete and Juanpi in attacking transitions. At half-time, the scoreboard remained at 0-0.
Cifu, in the second half, launched a shot near the left post in 48’. Pellicer, five minutes later, made a triple substitution, leaving seven senior players on the pitch. Rolón, Luis Muñoz and Hicham came on in place of Benkhemassa, Adrián and Tete Morente.
In 56’, Lombán caressed the goal with a header stemming from a corner, and Hicham, immediately afterwards, narrowly missed an opening goal following a pass from Sadiku that grazed the right post. Málaga deserved to take the lead. And they did. A counter driven by Luis Muñoz and Juanpi catapulted a powerful, super-fast Hicham to outwit Giménez in a one-on-one (1-0, 61’). A sublime goal from the Moroccan winger.
From then on, until the second water break (75’), the Martiricos outfit continued to show their solid defence while still dominating the pace of play. In the closing stages, Dépor looked to do some damage, especially on the right wing with former Malaguista Hugo Vallejo as the team’s fresh legs. Renato, in 85’, came on for Juanpi as Pellicer’s fourth substitution.
With no time for more, Málaga CF safeguards three golden points with a 1-0 victory. The seventh match on the bounce without defeat and the fifth with a clean sheet for the team, which has 49 points and in a provisional 14th place in the standings. Vamos Málaga!
