Match Reports

Hello fellow Malaga CF fans!
Yes, the mighty Atletico Madrid were at La Roselda for an 8 o'clock kick off on a Saturday night. The "other" team in Madrid with 45,000 season ticket holders. Sitting in fifth place in La Liga, and with stars like Fernando Torres (wonderkid, super striker, still capable of under-21 selection, but watch him in EURO2004 in Portugal), Sergi, Dani, Aguilera, Simeone (remember him, playing for Argentina and getting David Beckham sent off in the 1994 World Cup Finals?) Malaga knew they had a game on their hands.
Manager Juande Ramos had perhaps for the first time this season a full squad to select from. How would he play this game? Defensive? Attacking? Well, he left regulars Fernando Sanz, Duda, Canabal, Rojas, Romero and Manu out to sit on the bench and chose a very attacking side, in 4-4-2 formation, Calatayud (in goal in place of injured Arnau), winger Gerardo at right back, Josemi, Litos and Valcarce, Edgar, Miguel Angel, Leko and Insua, Salva and Diego Alonso.
Atletico Madrid also had an attacking formation, playing with three forwards in a 4-3-3 formation. What was striking about Atletico on the field was their physical presence with at least five players in the 6 feet plus category.
Atletico won the toss and chose to play into the Fondo end in the first half. Malaga kicked off and from the very first kick, the game was played at a very high tempo, with both sides committed to attacking football. For the spectator (i.e. me) this was going to be an excellent football match and so it turned out.
Although there was plenty of action on the field in the opening stages, in retrospect, the two midfields cancelled each other out. What was apparent was that Malaga were going to chase every 50/50 ball and close down with two players on Atleticos's attackers and Atletico were intent on attacking at every opportunity, not like many away teams who sit camped in defence and try to work the counterattack. So an entertaining game in prospect. Of the teams I've seen this year, Atletico are up there with Valencia as the best of the teams I've seen in opposition.
The first real close thing fell to Atletico when, in the 26th minute, Fernando Torres found himself not offside (much to the chagrin of the Malaga defenders) and he unleashed an unstoppable shot which had Calatayud beaten, but it came off the nearside post and was scrambled to safety.
The quality of the football was at a high standard, with both teams working very hard, tackling and passing precisely, and the pace of the game was high, so that if one team lost possession for any reason, the other had players in position to make the counter very positively and quickly. What was apparent to me was that with Diego Alonso up front to accompany the usually solo Salva up front, how successful he was in winning the ball , either when it came to him at height or on the ground. So, when in the 31st minute, Diego Alonso gathered the ball on the left, he was in a position to pass it into the path of the onrushing Leko, from midfield. LEKO, the Croatian, is very left footed, and unfortunately the ball fell to his right. However, he had time to pass it from his right to his left and then stroke it low easily past Aragoneses in the Atletico goal into the right hand corner to make it 1-0.
With half time fast approaching, (this was a game when time passed very quickly), both Geoff and I were thinking that another goal before the change around would be necessary to give us an edge in the second half, so menacing were the front men for Atletico, particularly Fernando Torres, who, for a big man, showed he had quick feet and a quick brain for making something out of nothing.
Malaga won a corner on the left, on 45 minutes. In the absence of Duda (who normally takes all free kicks and corners), Leko took the kick. It went beyond the multitude of players in the box, but fell to DEIGO ALONSO, standing on his own, who blasted it home to make it 2-0. Oh joy!
Now would be a good time for the referee to blow for half time, we all thought, and the crescendo of whistles all around the ground served to assist the referee in this decision. However, he allowed Atletico to kick off. He also allowed them to execute some fine passes which allowed a strong run down the right wing and also for the perfect pass to the feet of NANO, who made no mistake to make it 2-1. This time the referee did not allow Malaga to restart the game by blowing for halftime. 2-1.
During halftime, Geoff and I were thinking that the game was evenly poised and that the threat of Atletico was still very strong. The goal lost on the stroke of half time was very bad news and hopefully Juande would have Our Boys stoked up to come out with all barrels from the restart and claim another goal for the cushion required to seal the game.
Juande is as good a judge as Geoff and me and Our Boys did not let us down. In 48 minutes, the always impressive, hard working and pacey Argentinean, Insua, took possession in the centre circle and started to run towards goal. He beat four men in an meandering, twisting and turning, lung bursting run, straight down the middle of the park, before releasing the ball to the grateful DIEGO ALONSO, who made no mistake from 10 yards. 3-1.
There was no lack of concentration this time as Malaga fought hard to keep their two goal advantage.
In 60 minutes Romero made his comeback after a long period of injury (although he did play for Uruguay last week) in place of the hardworking Edgar.
In 62 minutes there was a bit of a furore as a strong tackle from Josemi on Fernando Torres, who reacted violently, had a ruck of twenty players around the referee, making their point of view on the matter. The referee decided to book both players.
The matter wasn't resolved, however, when the same two players went for a ball deep inside Malaga's half. Fernando Torres used his elbow to gain advantage, but Josemi appeared to retaliate to the challenge and Spain's boy wonder went down in a heap. Again there were twenty players around the referee, whilst Fernando Torres lay prostate on the ground. The medical team rushed on, including the three(?) stretcher bearers. After a wee while, and as Fernando Torres was stretchered off, the referee brandished a second yellow and a red card for the young superstar. What about Josemi? No second card, but Juande sensibly substituted him with Fernando Sanz at the earliest opportunity (in 67 minutes).
Further substitutions were made by 10 men Atletico, who ended up playing a 3-2-4 formation to try and get something from the game. But without Fernando Torres, they looked more ordinary and the goal opportunities fell to Malaga, with Salva, in particular, keen to add to his already impressive tally for the season. Although Duda came on as a late sub for Gerardo, Malaga were unable to increase their advantage and the game finished 3-1 to the home side.
A fantastic victory over a good side. A great game to watch and a good result for the home fans who again showed their support for their team. Spare a thought, briefly, very briefly, for Musampa, the former Malaga favourite, who came on a sub for Atletico, and despite his trickery and positive contribution to his side's cause, was booed and whistled every time he was on the ball.
At the end of the day, Malaga await the results of Sunday's games to see if they have made any progress up the table. Next week they are away to Barcelona and then home to Deportivo. More tough matches, but if Malaga are to realise a European dream, then they must take points from these forthcoming matches.
Next home game is scheduled for 25th April against Champion's League contenders, Deportivo. Your Malaga CF correspondent will be there!