Match Reports

Sunday 28 November 2004 - Day 13 of La Liga brings Albacete to La Roseleda. Albacete are one of the smaller teams in the league and their ground (Carlos Belmonte) only holds 16,500 spectators. Two seasons ago they won promotion from La Segunda and narrowly escaped relegation last year. This year, too, they have found the going tough and have rarely moved from the bottom three places, the drop zone.
Malaga too have had a tough period, one which was predicted as they have faced three of La Liga's top four (and are away next week to the fourth - Barcelona), and have not won a game for six matches. They have played well enough against the big guns, but the rub of the green and a little more class is needed to really compete with them. So this week's match was one in which Malaga might start as favourites against one of the minnows. Having said all that, in this league every team is capable of beating (and often do) each other so that a defeat or win can usually mean a drop/rise in the table by six places. So the league table is constantly changing, which makes every game interesting.
A 5 o'clock evening kick-off, and although the temperature was around 19C, there was a dampness in the air which forebodes the rain forecast for the end of the week. It has been several weeks since we had any sort of rain, so it we are all kinda looking forward to it so we can stay in and watch a video or something.
Malaga had a full squad to pick from and Manager Manzano picked a very attacking eleven, in a 4-4-3 formation, with Edgar starting up front alongside Amoroso and Wanchope, and right winger Manu dropping to the bench. Also, Gerardo is suspended, so young hot prospect Alexis gets his third outing of the season at right back.
Team: Calatayud, Alexis, Fernando Sanz, Juanito, Valcarce, Michel Angel, Leko and Duda, Edgar, Wanchope and Amoroso.
Albacete kick off and for the first five minutes take the initiative, looking to be first to every ball and working hard with three players around any Malaga player on the ball. In fact, their tactics were in place from the kick-off and they maintained their workrate and their formation throughout the game. Their style, so common in visiting teams, is counter attack, with eleven behind the ball when it is in their own half, breaking quickly into attack with four strikers, playing a 4-2-3-1 formation.
We have to wait until 8 minutes before we see a cohesive Malaga attack. With every forward player closely marked, Fernando Sanz and Juanito have only each other to pass to at the back. Valcarce, the left full back who loves to overlap is given the ball in his own half and starts on a run. Having no possibility to pass to his teammates he continues on his own and tries a shot which goes well over.
From the goal kick, the ball is moved by Albacete quickly into their first real attacking move down their left wing, where little Pena looked tricky on the ball. Alexis goes to make the tackle and wins the ball, but he hesitates in delivering the ball upfield and Pena wins it back and sends in a dangerous cross into the box. The ball is pushed out by Calatayud, but only to VIAUD, whose powerful shot is deflected off Juanito and into the net.
Malaga 0-1 Albacete
Definitely not in the script. Malaga's team and supporters are stunned by this and Albacete take heart from their early opening and press for another which could kill off the game early. In 11' Duda gives away a freekick in a dangerous position, but the freekick comes back off the wall and the ball is cleared to safety.
Two minutes later, we have a repeat as Juanito commits a foul in the same position, but again the wall is equal to the attempt. Alabacete were clearly not here to make up the numbers and be the whipping boys. They are already fighting for survival and their determination is apparent in their tackling and closing down.
However, in 16' Malaga almost equalise. Duda is dispossessed but the ball falls to Valcarce who slips it forward to Amoroso. The Brazilian uses some nifty footwork to get past the fullback and cut he ball to Michel Angel, who is in the clear for a shot on goal. Unfortunately, the ball falls to his left foot and his weak effort is gathered up by the tall Gaspercic in the Albacete goal. In fact, now you come to mention it, the visiting side were full of very tall players, reminding me of Dunfermline Pathetic when Dick Campbell was the manager.
In 19' Pena again gets around Alexis to find Redundo on his own near the penalty spot and Calatayud has to make an excellent save from his point blank shot. It is still Albacete who are keeping possession and finding their men and Pena almost scored with a cross cum shot which had Calatayud stretching to tip the ball over as it almost sneaked in at the top corner.
The next minute sees Valcarce finding Amoroso out wide on the left wing. Again the mesmeric skills are brought into play and he finds Duda this time with an excellent pass, but the little Portuguese winger is having a bad day and his shot is easily blocked.
In 25' Albacete striker Ivan Diaz tries his luck from the half way line with Calatayud off his line, but the Malaga keeper can only watch as the attempt goes wide.
In 31' Valcarce is booked for bring down Viaud, who otherwise would have been clear down the right wing.
Malaga are finding it impossible to break down the tight defence and Manzano's experiment of three up front does not seem to be working. The pace and accuracy of Edgar's passing and runs down the right wing have not been seen as the Angolan has been given a free role to no avail.
Half-time 0-1
Manzano recognises that his tactics are not working as Alabacete have the upper hand in every department. No other visiting team so far has had such a strong hold on the game, including Real Madrid and Valencia. So Manzano changes his team by bringing on Luque for the out of sorts Duda and the more defensive Romero for Michel Angel.
However, in 46' within the first minute of the restart, Malaga go two behind. Again the unfortunate Alexis hesitates on the ball, having difficulty in finding a player to pass to. Striker MOMO, signed from Deportivo, takes the ball from him and makes a run towards goal with only the goalkeeper to beat, which he did with a crashing shot, which left Calatayud rooted to the spot.
Malaga 0-2 Albacete
The next minute Leko is booked for a high elbow as Malaga's frustration mounts.
In 48' Luque is already making a difference with his runs down the left wing. He is "stopped" in his tracks by centre back Gasper, who is booked. From Luque's freekick, Edgar heads wide, but the fans can at least see some glimmer of hope after going two down. Malaga have now changed to a 3-4-3 formation as they try to gain control of the midfield and provide service to their strikers.
In 50' Luque again breaks through and slips the ball back to the supporting Valcarce, who hits a shot which just goes over.
In 61' Manzano has to juggle his team again as second half substitute, Romero, is himself substituted by Giejo, after a crunching tackle has left the Uruguayan limping. The introduction of a fourth striker, means that Malaga are now in a 3-3-4 formation, with the two giant strikers, Wanchope and Giejo working down the middle, with Edgar on the right and Amoroso on the left.
In 62' Luque breaks through into the box and is upended by Gaspar. Two things should have happened here. One, Gaspar should have been sent off. Two, a penalty should have been awarded. But, it is not Malaga's day and the referee waves play on.
Two minutes later, Valcarce's cross finds Wanchope but the ball is under his feet and the chance is lost.
Albacete are guilty of using timewasting tactics as they try to frustrate the home side even more. A couple of substitutions are made when the player coming off is at the furthest point on the ground and he walks slowly off. The referee could have within his rights sent the player off but takes no action.
In 79' the best move of the match again features Valcarce and Luque down the left wing and the wingers accurate cross is met by Wanchope's head, but the shot unfortunately, but endemic of the day, comes off the post and goes wide.
In the final 10 minutes, the Malaga fans are on their feet waving white handkerchiefs and shouting "Fuera, fuera". In Spanish football, this custom occurs when the home support is suggesting to their manager that they have had enough and it is time for a change. Although the Malaga team keep trying to score and get something from the game up to the final whistle, the score remains the same and Albacete win 0-2. This win means they leap over Malaga, who themselves now enter the dreaded red zone in third bottom place. There is no hiding place in this league and Manzano, whose attempts today having proved fruitless, will have find some answers quickly, if the bright start to the season is going to end in tears.
The last four games of the year could not be tougher with trips to Barcelona and Villarreal and the visits of surprise team of the year, Levante, and local rivals Sevilla.
Whatever happens, be assured your Malaga CF Correspondent will be here.