Málaga CF defeated CD Estepona away from home in the first round of the Copa del Rey. A penalty goal by Lobete in the first half, followed by goals from Dorrio and Aaron Ochoa in the second half, secured their place in the next round.
There was a great atmosphere in the stands at the Muñoz Pérez, with many Malaguistas supporting the Blue and Whites. Sergio Pellicer selected the following line-up: Carlos López; Gabilondo, Izan M., Einar (c), Dani Sánchez; Juanpe, Rafa R.; Joaquín, Aaron Ochoa, Lobete; Jauregi. It was the homegrown goalkeeper’s debut this season, and nine other changes, 10 in total, compared to the league match against Andorra. Only Joaquín kept his place in the starting-11.
In the opening stages, Málaga CF controlled the territory, dominating possession against a home side sitting deeper and waiting for a quick transition.
In the 11th minute, the first clear chance for the Blue and Whites in the opposing box resulted in a penalty on Julen Lobete. The forward himself converted the spot-kick with an unstoppable strike (0–1, 12’). Two minutes later, Rafa tried his luck with a long-range shot that went over the crossbar.
Málaga didn’t change their game plan after taking the lead, and Estepona barely troubled Carlos López’s goal. A shot off target by Dani Sancho in the 26th minute was the first real attempt from Molist’s side in the first half.
In the closing moments of the first half, there was no real threat in either penalty area. The most notable moment for MCF was a yellow card shown to Juanpe in minute 42 for stopping a potential Estepona counterattack. Half-time: 0–1.
At the restart, Pellicer made a triple substitution: Darko, Haitam, and Dorrio came on for Juanpe, Joaquín, and goal-scorer Lobete. Boosted by the energy of their fans, Estepona pushed higher up the pitch in the early minutes of the second half.
On the wings, both Haitam and Dorrio looked to make an impact, each playing on the opposite side of their stronger foot. In the 63rd minute, the home player Javi Castedo tried his luck from distance, but without troubling Carlos López. Dotor became Málaga’s fourth substitution in the 66th minute, coming into midfield for Rafa.
In the midst of the late push, the goals kept coming. First, Málaga’s second, scored by Dorrio; he controlled a great pass from Dotor with his chest and struck it into the net before it hit the ground (0–2, 77’). It was the Basque winger’s first goal for MCF.
Chupe came on for Jauregi in the 78th minute and, immediately after, CD Estepona pulled one back through Asier (1–2, 80’). The home side pushed hard in search of an equaliser and extra time, leaving spaces at the back that Málaga CF exploited to put the game to bed in stoppage time.
Dorrio, lethal on the counter, set up Aaron Ochoa for the number 35 to beat the goalkeeper (1–3, 95’). It was the youth international’s first official goal for Málaga, representing Ireland at youth level.
A victory for Málaga Club de Fútbol, their second in a row after the league win over Andorra at La Rosaleda, and they advance to the second round of the Copa de S.M. El Rey. Vamos, Málaga!