The Malaguistas and Albacetistas locked horns this sunny Sunday afternoon (14:00) on matchday 34 of LaLiga SmartBank. These rivals played one another previously on 3rd January 2021, on matchday 20 of the season (1-1 draw).
On the pitch, Pellicer’s men sought to dominate the ball from the outset. The Blue and Whites marked the pace of play in midfield, whereas the visitors had the odd dangerous approach, but came up against the effective local defence. Zozulia tried his luck with an acrobatic bicycle kick in 19’, but goalkeeper Juan Soriano blocked the shot with no option for a second play. The keeper then took centre stage in two actions (26’ and 41’), responding to two close-range shots in the heart of the area.
Málaga sealed their dominance in the first half by taking a 1-0 lead in 23’. Jozabed aimed to surprise with a shot at the target, but the ball was picked up by Yanis who deflected the trajectory of the ball to deceive the opposing keeper. Despite the accidental definition, the number ‘17’ was in a legal position (1-0, min 23). The result stayed the same at half-time.
The match continued in the same way in the second half. The home side controlled the rhythm of play. This dominance led to a 2-0 lead in minute 56. Jairo led a superb counter with a great run on the right wing. The winger spotted his teammate Caye out of the corner of his eye, serving him a low, powerful shot that the number ‘20’ slammed into the net.
The lead allowed the Blue and Whites to slow down somewhat on the field of play to contain the rival more effectively. The match ended in a 2-0 win for Málaga CF, who add another three points to the pot to now total 48.
