Match Reports

A strange start to the season with no team (apart from maybe Celta Vigo, with wins against Malaga, Real Madrid and Villarreal) going really great guns unlike the English and Scottish leagues. It's pretty bad in England where halfway through September and the pundits are discussing who might be runners-up to Chelsea.
Not so in Spain. Real Madrid have lost twice in their first three games and face a difficult tie at home to Athletic tonight. (Live on CanalSur, 22:00h kick-off - I will be watching as Jonathan Woodgate makes his debut 13 months after moving from Newcastle).
Bottom club after four games is Villarreal, although they are doing quite nicely in the Champion's League. So Malaga's also indifferent start has to be put into perspective. Their problems for me are in the midfield, where they were solid last year, based on the triangle of Romero and Juanito at the back, with Miguel Angel slightly more advanced. Romero sustained an injury in the opening fixture against Celta and is due to return in this Sunday's away game at Mallorca. In the summer, Michel Angel was transferred to Andalucian neighbours, Real Betis, whilst Juanito was also transferred to ..................... Alaves! He got stick during the game every time he went near the ball as not only is he a former favourite but he was born and brought up in Malaga - he shall never be forgiven for leaving his home town club.
Tapia has of course brought in replacements, but in the first three games he has already used 17 players as he tries to get the right blend. In last night's game, he tried a new line-up in the centre of midfield, with Anderson and Nacho at the back and Hidalgo in the advanced role. Edgar retained his place ahead of Juan Rodriguez after his goal against Athletic on Sunday and Morales is preferred to Salva up front in a much changed team.
Malaga (4-2-3-1): Arnau; Gerardo, Cesar, Fernando Sanz and Valcarce; Anderson and Nacho; Edgar, Hidalgo and Duda; Morales.
Alaves, newcomers to La Liga after a few seasons in La Segunda, also have had a poor start to the season with two defeats and a draw in their opening three games. On Sunday, they were beaten at home 3-4 by this year's biggest surprise so far, Getafe, with Brazilian striker Nene snatching a hat trick and still seeing his team lose all three points. So they came to last night's match clearly intent on getting something from the game. We have seen these sort of matches before, even though it is still very early in the season, where the away team camps in their own half with eleven men behind the ball.
Alaves (4-2-3-1): Bonano; Alonso, Juanito, Lacen and Pellegrino; Wesley and Astudio; de Lucas, Jandro and Nene; Aloisi.

Alaves were slightly disconcerting for me at the beginning as their away strip (their home strip being identical to Malaga's blue and white stripes) was the tangerine and black of Dundee United and for a wee moment I was back in Scotland watching Raith Rovers playing the "Arabs". Then of course I came back to reality. It was a 21:00h kick-off, it was dry, I was dressed in tee-shirt and shorts and the temperature was about 24C.
True to expectation, Alaves set their stall out very early on, keeping possession, passing along the back four and killing time from the first minute! Malaga's frustration was not helped by some very fussy refereeing, with the game constantly being stopped (quite unnecessarily, in my view) for niggly fouls and free kicks. Brazilian Anderson was looking the best Malaga player in these early stages, trying and succeeding to intercept Alaves's short passes and trying to build something for Malaga to spring from.
The first incident of any note came in the 11th minute when Aloisi, signed from Osasuna in the close season, was booked for persistent fouling. The 11th minute!
It was the 13th before we had a shot on goal from either side. Gerardo took a long throw on the right wing deep in the Alaves half and found Hidalgo, who spun and shot powerfully from the edge of a crowded penalty box. But the shot went wide of the target.
Alaves continued to pass the ball between the back four and deny Malaga possession and it almost seemed that they were wasting and playing out time - it was quite clear they had come for the draw.
It was fully 21' before Alaves ventured into Malaga's half and Nene tried his luck from 40 yards and watched his effort go well over.
In 24' Duda was brought down on the left wing and was carried off on a stretcher (only to return two minutes later, looking none the worse). In the meantime Gerardo took the kick but it went straight into Bonano's grateful arms.
In 31' Morales intercepted a loose ball at halfway and started on a run. The 8'6" Uruguayan is impressive in full flight and he was bearing down on goal when Juanito stuck a leg in and robbed him of the ball. Morales kicked him back in frustration and was promptly booked.
The next minute Hidalgo forces a great save from Bonano after receiving an inch perfect cross from Edgar who had made space with an electric run down the right wing.
In 36' it's the first real goalmouth action at Malaga's end. In receiving a headed backpass from Fernando Sanz, Arnau was adjudged by the linesman to have carried the ball over the touchline and a corner was awarded. The luminous yellow booted de Lucas took the kick and Arnau had to make an instinctive point blank save from Aloisi. When the front man barged into the keeper to collect the loose ball, the referee blew for a free kick and the danger was over.
Alonso was booked in the 37th minute for a tackle from behind on Duda. From the free kick, Morales got himself into a scoring position but was offside.
A great chance for Malaga in the 39th minute as they started to impose themselves more on the game. Anderson made a short pass to Duda, who spotted a fine diagonal run from right to left by Edgar. However, instead of shooting at goal, the Angolan winger elected to try to find Morales and the chance was wasted.
In 40' Anderson finds Edgar on the right wing and he sets off on a trademark run with three defenders chasing him. Inevitably he's brought down and Duda crosses over to the right wing to take the kick. He finds giant centreback Cesar's head but the powerful header sickeningly comes back off the post.
Another chance from a freekick just before half time. Duda takes a freekick just outside the box after Edgar had been brought down again. The poor kick rebounds off the defensive wall but falls to Morales who has the fleetness of mind to turn and lay the ball on for Edgar. The shot however is blocked in the crowded area.
Half Time 0-0
After the break, Duda and Edgar have swapped wings and win a free kick in 47', but again the little Portuguese hits the wall.
In 49' Anderson is booked needlessly for obstruction on the halfway line.
On the left wing now Edgar finds Duda wide on the right. He moves inside to get the ball on his left foot and his effort brings a fine one handed save from Bonano.
It's all Malaga now and Nacho swings in a lovely cross from the left to find Morales's head in the 6 yard box, but the big striker tries to be too clever and his glanced effort slips past the post.
Some neat interpassing play between Hidalgo, Nacho and Anderson gives the former a chance when he accepts the return ball but his shot goes wide.
Then in 59' Edgar is brought down just outside the box after an excellent through ball from Nacho. Before the kick can be taken, Tapia decides it's time to go for a more attacking line-up and introduces strikers Salva and Paco Estaban for the upset- about- being- substituted Morales and Edgar. Malaga switch to a 4-4-2 formation, with Nacho moving to the left wing, Duda on the right.
It takes time for this new formation to gel and Alaves get back into their frustrating play and time wasting antics.
It's 71' before we see Malaga back in attack. Paco Estaban bursts down the right and sends a powerful cross right over Salva's head. Fortunately, Nacho is able to collect it and send it back in from the left. Again it misses Salva in the middle, but Paco Estaban is able to volley in a shot which produces a spectacular save from Bonano.
In 75' Manu comes on for the tiring Hidalgo. He takes over the right wing, Duda switches to the left and Nacho moves inside.
In his first kick, Manu slides the ball inside to the advancing Gerardo. From fully 35 yards, he sends in a piledriver which had the keeper beaten but Juanito manages to get in the way of and concede a corner.
In 77' Manu is booked for pushing.
Nacho breaks down the left in 80' and finds Salva with another excellent cross, but the big striker heads over.
In 84', perhaps the best chance yet comes from a Duda corner on the right. He finds Salva in the clear and the striker powerfully heads the ball downwards towards goal. However, the ball bounces off the ground and goes over.
In 85' Anderson is booked for a tackle from behind. It's his second booking and he's off! With him gone and Malaga down to 10 men, it's game over and Alaves get what they set out for - a 0-0 draw.
Full time Malaga 0 Alaves 0