Jornada 8: Elche vs. Malaga
Sunday 14 October 2007 and yet another live televised match for Malaga. The game gets top billing in the absence of La Liga teams because it is an international weekend.
In the Martínez Valero Stadium in Elche, 6,829 spectators showed up to see if the home team could stop Malaga's record-breaking unbeaten run of seven games since the start of the season. During the week, the newspapers had been full of the fact that Malaga's strength this season - the solid back four and in particular, the centre backs, Weligton and Rosario, were to be given their stiffest test yet against two strikers who are the tallest in Spain, with the giant Miguel a mere 6'8" and the Englishman, Noel Williams. Nevertheless, Malaga manager Muniz stuck with the formation that had done so well for him, which meant fit again Salva had to be content with a seat on the sub's bench.
Málaga (4-1-3-2): Goitia; J. Gámez, Rosario, Welington and Rossato; Carpintero; Paulo Jorge, Hidalgo and Calleja; Peragón and Baha.
The game started briskly, with goalkeepers having to be alert in the opening minutes, although it was Elche who began to take the initiative, so that Malaga was pushed back with all eleven players in their own half. Indeed the two powerful front men were proving difficult for Malaga's centre backs and as a result, the midfield was again missed out with Malaga reduced to trying to clear their lines and find the front men with high long balls. Elche could have gone ahead in 14 minutes. Pere Martí hurled a throw-in to the near post and Williams back-headed across the goal and just wide of the far post with Goitia watching hopelessly.
With Elche pushing up, the strong running of their forwards and the ineptitude of Malaga's midfield to make any impression on the game, it was no surprise when Elche took the lead in 34 minutes. Víctor Gómis put it a swilrling cross from the right wing and the giant Miguel got in front of Carpentero and chested the ball down to the unmarked FAJARDO running into the box and the Uruguayan shot low past Goitia.
Elche 1 Malaga 0
If Muniz was analysing how his team could back into the game he made the wrong decision at half time. He withdrew the hopeless and completely ineffective Paulo Jorge and brought on another striker, Salva, with the side changing to a 4-3-3 formation. However, the problem lay in the fact that Hidalgo and co in the midfield had been posted missing, so that a third striker just meant that the hopeful clearances from defence had one more opportunity to find somebody. I suppose the strikers have been on form and have been scoring goals from less than half chances, but this was a very poor tactical decision. And before Malaga could even adjust to their new formation, they went behind further. Calleja lost possession at the half way line and the ball was picked up by Noel Williams, who then hared down the vacant right wing. Looking up, he saw his strike partner Miguel loping through the centre of the park and sent in a curving cross to him. The long legged MIGUEL stuck out his leg beyond Weligton to prod the ball home past Goitia.
Elche 2 Malaga 0
The home crowd went into some sort of delirium as they were in total control of the game against a clueless Malaga side and were fulfilling the promise made by the Elche manager David Vidal that they would be the first team to beat the league leaders. His tactics were spot on and Muniz had no answer.
Full time
Elche 2 Malaga 0
See the goals on:
http://www.canalsur.es/resources_inf/archivos/2007/10/15/11924343948571malaga.rm