Match Reports

Malaga travel for the second weekend on the trot, this time to Alicante, capital of the Costa Blanca, and home to Hercules. After their very strong start of seven straight wins, Malaga have been struggling and have been dropping points with regularity, with last week’s draw away to Gimnastic meaning also a drop to second place in the league, one point behind Numancia.

In the huge Rico Perez de Alicante stadium, the 9,000 crowd looked somewhat paltry as the players entered onto the field. Malaga were able to welcome back midfield general Hidalgo back from suspension and Peragon’s head injury incurred in last week’s game meant that Salva joined Baha up front for a promising 4-4-2 formation.

Malaga (4-4-2): Goitia; Jesus Gamez, Rosario, Weligton and Rossato; Paulo Jorge, Hidalgo, Carpintero and Calleja; Baha and Salva.

Malaga started the brightest and for the first 35 minutes of the half, they dominated the game, continuously encamped in Hercules’ half. The wingers stayed wide and Hidalgo was finding them with regularity. Their crosses into the box, though, weren’t of the required quality and again Baha and Salva were left looking for scraps. However, so much were Malaga dominant that it seemed almost a matter of time of time before they got a result for all their possession. Suddenly, though as so often seems to happen, Malaga’s high tempo and concentration lapsed before the break and some poor passes gave away possession in midfield which gave opportunities to show that perhaps Hercules weren’t just so easy to beat.

Half time Hercules 0 Malaga 0

Muniz’s half time pep talk seemed to work as again they started the brighter and had three attempts on goal within the opening five minutes of the second half. Hercules responded by making two changes in the next five minutes, bringing on Camara an attacking midfielder and Tote, a former Malaga and Real Betis striker to add some punch to their team.

Whether it was coincident with these changes, suddenly Calleja looked tired and unable to make any progress down the left. On the right, Paulo Jorge decided to leave the right wing for a free wandering role. As a result, Malaga’s midfield collapsed and Hercules began to take a firm grip of the game.

At least Muniz recognised Calleja’s frailty when he was replaced by the flying Portuguese winger Eliseu in 61’. But with Paulo Jorge totally out of the game, Hercules continued to take the game to Malaga, who once again had to rely on some strong defending from their centre backs, Rosario and Weligton.

It was a pity, because after the fine first half performance, Malaga should have been ahead and comfortably winning this match. Now, it looked to all the world that Muniz would be happy with the 0-0 draw. Very disappointing from a Malaga supporter’s point of view.

Now much had been said during the week in the local press about Malaga’s last four goals against all coming from set pieces and how they were going to spend all their efforts on the training pitch making sure that they could avoid more embarrassments.

However, in the 80’, Malaga conceded a free kick wide on the right. The free kick itself found a home player in the box, but his shot was blocked by Rosario. The ball could have gone anywhere, but it flew straight to Hercules full back Cesar, standing about 30 yards out. Malaga’s defence was all over the place and Goitia was off his line. CESAR sent a strong drive back into the area where it eluded everybody, including two defenders on the goal line and Hercules had taken the lead.

Hercules 1 Malaga 0

It was no more than both sides deserved, as playing for a draw is almost always going to lead to tears.

Muniz responded immediately with another panic stricken pair of substitutions. Off (at last) came Paulo Jorge and also full back Rossato. On came striker Ivan Rosado and wunderkid Gerardo, for Malaga to go into an attacking 3-4-3 formation to try and claim back the draw.

The fourth official was showing the 3’ added minute board when Malaga were awarded a free kick on the left wing, about 30 yards out. As you can imagine, into time added on, Hercules had brought everybody back and Malaga had thrown everybody forward. I looked very closely and saw that the kitchen sink was lingering around the penalty spot.

Young Gerardo, who recently signed a two year extension to his contract, lined up to take the kick. Salva whispered in his ear to go for goal. Gerardo indeed sent a delicious ball deep into the box, behind the mass of players but temptingly just out of reach for the goalkeeper. Centre back Sergio, under pressure from Weligton and Salva got to the ball first, but all he could do was direct the ball past his own keeper and into the net!

Hercules 1 Malaga 1

Well, Muniz got his draw after all and amazingly, the results elsewhere did not adversely affect Malaga’s 2nd position as both top team Numancia and third placed team Sporting also both drew.

Next week, Malaga return home for the final match of 2007, against fourth placed Sevilla Atletico, before the three week Christmas break, when they resume away to Cadiz on January 6th. Here’s hoping Muniz will be looking for a more positive result next Saturday night. Never fear, your Malaga CF Correspondent will be there.