Málaga CF visited UD Las Palmas on matchday 3 of LaLiga Hypermotion, the first away game for the Blue and Whites. The match was played this Sunday 31st August at 19:30 (mainland Spain time) at the Estadio Gran Canaria. A total of 22,039 spectators attended, including around 300 Malaguistas who made their presence felt.
Pellicer selected the following starting-11: A. Herrero; Puga, Murillo, Montero, Víctor; Juanpe, Izan, Rafa; Larrubia, Joaquín and Chupe.
The match began at a lively pace. The home side tried to take control in the opening stages, but the Blue and White defence managed to fend off most of their attacks. Ale García for the Yellows struck the crossbar in the 12th minute, and Marvin was denied in the 16th by an outstanding Alfonso Herrero, who showed great reflexes to stop a close-range effort from the full-back.
Málaga responded by pushing forward dangerously in attack. From the right flank, Puga delivered a wicked low cross to the near post that Chupe couldn’t quite connect with (0-0, 19’). Two minutes later, Víctor attempted the same move from his wing but was thwarted by a sharp opposing defender.
With Málaga on the front foot, one of the defining moments of the first half arrived. VAR and the referee closely reviewed a possible handball by Víctor in the box. After a seven-minute stoppage, the referee ruled an offside by the home side, which nullified the potential penalty.
Pellicer’s men came out of this pause with even better momentum, keeping their opponents in check for the remainder of the first half by controlling possession of the ball.
Finally, the game plan paid off in the 45th minute with a stunning goal from Rafa. The homegrown player drove toward goal from the edge of the box and unleashed a powerful, pinpoint strike. The ball nestled into the back of the net right by the post so tightly that many spectators thought it had gone wide.
A truly spectacular goal that sent the Malaguistas into a frenzy (0-1, 45’). That was the score at halftime.
The home side increased their share of possession in the second half, but Málaga managed their attacks well while trying to extend their lead with quick attacking transitions.
Joaquín nearly sealed the 2-0 in the 61st minute. Chupete flicked a header in behind the defence, and the winger carried it forward at speed into a dangerous one-on-one with the goalkeeper. The keeper managed just enough of an intervention to prevent a clear shot.
After several back-and-forth exchanges from both sides, the 1-0 stood as the final score when the referee blew the full-time whistle.
