Match Reports

Malaga travelled to the largest of the Canary Islands for Sunday’s match, knowing, after Saturday’s results, that some of their rivals had achieved victories, which made it imperative that they took something from this game, especially with potentially tough games against two of the top three teams in the league in the next fortnight.
With Silva and Jonaton Valle suspended, but with Calleja again available, Muniz put out his team in 4-3-3 formation, which had proved decisive, finally, against Vecindario last week, with Gascon replacing Silva as the holding midfield player.

Malaga (4-3-3): Goitia; Jesus Gamez, Armando, Jesule and Valcarce; Gascon, Sandro and Hidalgo; Ivan Rosado, Counago and Calleja.

Again this match was televised live on Spanish TV, such is the interest in Malaga’s plight, and it may have been the reason for what seemed a particularly poor attendance of 7,436 at the match.
Tenerife started very brightly and within 2 minutes had forced Malaga back defending desperately in their own penalty area. Crosses from both wings looked dangerous, with two powerful looking strikers in Cristo Marrero and Raul Sanchez already giving Armando and Jesule plenty to think about.
In 3’ as the relentless pressure continued, Armando was forced to concede the first corner of the game under pressure from Raul Sanchez. From the corner kick, Cristo is granted a free header but the ball whizzes just over the bar.
Tenerife are enjoying a lot of freedom down Malaga’s right flank, with the overlapping Jesus Gamez caught too advanced, thus allowing the home side’s left back, Hector, lots of unchallenged space to get crosses into the area.
In 6’ Tenerife maintain the pressure and Hector finds Raul Sanchez free in the box with an excellent pass. The big striker blasts the ball at goal and Goitia has to make an excellent point blank save to stop the home side going ahead.
In 10’ Valcarce and Calleja are under pressure near their own left corner flag by right winger Iriome and Calleja makes a hurried clearance up the wing rather than putting the ball out of play. Unfortunately the ball lands straight at Marc Betran’s feet and the full back immediately sends in a delightful cross into the box. Armando and Jesule seem caught out with the speed of this play and RAUL SANCHEZ reacts quicker to send an excellent glancing header into the net away from Goitia.
Tenerife 1 Malaga 0
It was no more than the home side were due after the opening ten minutes in which they had completely dominated Malaga with their speed of movement and pressing play. Malaga had not yet managed to get out of the own half, but this was not the script and certainly not the start that Malaga needed or wanted.
We had to wait until 13’ before we see Malaga break out of their own half and it was a good run by Rosado down the right wing which eased the pressure on the beleaguered Malaga defence. Counago had run in support but was too advanced so Rosado elected instead to cut the ball back towards the on running Calleja. However the left winger was beaten to the ball by centre back Pablo Sicilia and the danger for Tenerife was gone.
In 15’ Sandro, who up till this point had been unusually absent, found some space to deliver a ball into the penalty area, from the left wing. Counago goes up for it, but so does keeper Bernardo and Pablo Sicilia and the chance is gone.
From the clearance Hidalgo picks up the ball in midfield and tries to find Jesus Gamez on the right wing. The pass is poor and intercepted by Hector who runs with the ball unchallenged for at least 30 yards. Looking up he sees he has no support so he tries a powerful drive at goal which is just wide of the near post.
Tenerife are still looking the more dangerous side and are quick on the counter-attack and seem keen to expose the space down the flanks which Malaga’s tight 4-3-3 system allows , as the three midfielders are very much central midfield players.
In 18’ Raul Sanchez easily turns Jesule on the penalty spot to send another crashing drive at goal. Again Goitia is the hero with another amazing point blank stop.
From Goitia’s clearance, Counago beats the offside trap and tries to get on the end of the ball, but Bernardo rushes out of his box to clear.
In 23’ the first card of the game is yellow when Ricardo is booked for tripping Rosado.
In 24’ Malaga mount an attack down the right wing, but it seems ponderous compared to Tenerife’s exciting cut and thrust play and by the time Sandro makes up his mind the entire Tenerife team is back defending. Sandro has taken so long there is nothing in the box and so has to pass the ball back to Hidalgo. The midfielder is not scared of shooting and lets one fly from 30 yards against the team he spent five years with before joining Malaga. His shot though is high and wide.
In 27’ Malaga force a corner down the right wing after good play between Sandro and Jesus Gamez. But Calleja’s corner kick is easily caught by Bernardo.
The next minute, Goitia is again in action making yet another fine point blank save, this time from Cristo, as Tenerife again exploit Malaga’s defensive weakness against pace.
In 29’ Tenerife keep the pressure up in a sweeping move down their left wing. Hector sends in a great cross for Raul Sanchez and Valcarce has to make a last minute interception and send the ball over his own bar for a corner.
30’ gone and Malaga are still not in the game. Tenerife are quickest to everything, running the midfield, enjoying acres of space down both wings and creating chance after chance, with only some excellent goalkeeping from Goitia keeping them down to a 1-0 lead.
In 32’ Malaga’s first real attempt at goal comes from Jesus Gamez. The full back collects a cut back from Rosado and hits the ball hard and true but it’s deflected for a corner.
In 35’ Malaga go closer still, when the ball comes out of the area and lands at Valcarce’s feet. The little full back has no hesitation and sends in a powerful drive from 25 yards, only to see it come back off the base of the post. Armando is quickest to react and neatly places the ball past Bernardo and into the net, but Counago is offside.
In 39’ Valcarce loses possession in Tenerife’s penalty area to Iriome. Tenerife’s right winger runs unopposed the full length of the ground and crosses into the penalty area for Cristo, who had run in support. Armando had to make a last ditch tackle to deny the forward and his clearance went over the bar for a corner.
In 41’ Calleja passes to Counago in the box. His way is barred so he slips it right to Rosado who taps it home from five yards. However the flag is up for offside.
In 45’ Jesule in a panic clears the ball straight to Cristo. The big striker runs into the box clear on goal and shoots powerfully. Yet again Goitia is equal to the task and brings off yet another fine save.

Half time Tenerife 1 Malaga 0

It’s been a torrid first half for Malaga, who are just hanging on thanks entirely to Goitia in their goal. Without his heroics, Malaga could easily have been 5-0 down at the break.
Muniz makes his first change at half time, bringing on the teenager Kiko for Jesule at centre half, I suppose hoping that Kiko’s pace might offset that of Tenerife’s attack more than the usually reliable but pedestrian Jesule.
However, the second half starts as the first left off and Bertran tries a shot from the right wing that Goitia gathers easily.
In 49’ Malaga are still digesting their half time cup of tea and not closing Tenerife in the midfield, allowing Raul Sanchez another clear shot at goal which whistles just over.
In 51’ Bertran goes close again as Malaga are still not closing the huge gaps down both wings.
In 53’ Sandro’s poor pass to Counago puts the striker in bother, but he somehow manages to get the ball back to Hidalgo who is standing 25 yards out. He has a crack at goal but Bernardo makes a fine save.
Muniz then makes his second change to try and get his team more into the game. Valcarce is replaced by 8’3” Uruguayan giant striker Chengue Morales. Gascon moves to left back, Calleja back into midfield with Counago going left up front to accommodate Chengue through the centre.
Within four minutes, Malaga are level. Chengue’s physical presence has the desired effect on the home defence and a panic clearance ends up at HIDALGO’s feet. Again he is about 30 yards out, but he sends in a powerful drive, which seems to swerve in the air before coming off the inside of the post and into the net with Bernardo given no chance. GOOOOAAAALLLL!!!!
Tenerife 1 Malaga 1
As a scoreline, it is a little unfair reflection on the play so far, but Malaga will take it and you could sense a little bit of the pressure coming off the visitors’ shoulders.
Gascon at left back was not a success though and in 67’ Muniz makes his final substitution by taking off the tired Counago for Molinero. Now Molinero has been playing as a right winger this season, but he went to left back, allowing Gascon to go back into midfield as Malaga changed their formation to 4-4-2.
Then Malaga stun the home side in 71’. Calleja takes a corner from the left which wickedly goes under the bar where Chengue is ready to jump with the goalkeeper. However it’s Bernardo’s ball, but he seems to fumble it and cannot hold it and lets it drop to the ground. GASCON is two yards off the goal line and accepts the goalie’s charity and whacks the ball into the back of the net for Malaga’s second. What a disaster for Bernardo! It truly is a game of two goalkeepers!
We know the script by now. Malaga are ahead with 15 minutes to go and will defend this lead at all costs.
Tenerife desperately try route one football to get back into the game they should have one.
In 89’ Goitia has to make yet another fine save , palming the ball off Raul Sanchez’s head after a fine cross from Bertran.
In 91’ Kiko brings down Cristo in the “D” and is booked. There are some anxious moments as Malaga try to create a defensive wall with everybody back. Cristo takes the kick, it beats the wall and is flying goal bound, but Goitia makes a great save to deny the home side and ensure Malaga escape with what was at one time an unlikely outcome.

Final score Tenerife 1 Malaga 2

What a result! Just what Malaga needed! They achieve the magical 50 points they had set themselves earlier for survival, but a look at the table shows that there is still work to be done in the remaining four games, staring next week at home against already promoted Real Murcia. Never fear, Your Malaga CF Correspondent will be there!

League Table: http://www.as.com/futbol/segunda/clasificacion/

Website for more information and gossip in English on Malaga: www.malagafootballenglish.com