Jornada 7: Malaga vs. Las Palmas
Malaga surpassed their own best start record established in season 1948-49 last week when they went six wins out of six against Poli Ejido. This week they attempt to break the all-time Second Division best start by beating visitors Las Palmas to make it seven wins out of seven games.
It's a still warm 28C at La Rosaleda for the 18:30h Saturday night kick off. Some 15, 832 (official attendance), the biggest crowd of the season so far, have turned up to see the runaway league leaders and most in-form side in Spanish football.
Las Palmas are a team already in the relegation zone, but in Marquez, their main striker and captain, they have the top scorer from last season's campaign and come to this game after a credible 1-0 victory over last season's relegated First Division side Gimnastic. They are big muscular side and play aggressive football, so today's match will represent another challenge to the league leaders.
Malaga have to do again without the injured Salva and Carpintero and retain the same side that defeated Poli last week.
Malaga (4-1-3-2): Goitia; Jesus Gamez, Helder Rosario, Weligton and Rossato; Apono; Paulo Jorge, Hidalgo and Calleja; Baha and Peragon.
Malaga win the toss and elect to defend the Fondo goal. It's a very bright start and Malaga almost go ahead in the first minute when Baha runs through onto a Jesus Gamez pass, brushes past two defenders and shoots wide from 12 yards. In 3' Malaga keep up the offensive and Hidalgo, who celebrated the birth of his first baby, a son, during the week, is given space to try a shot from 20 yards but he sends the ball well wide. In 4' the Argentine goalkeeper for Las Palmas, Gonzalez, has to boot the ball high into the upper tier with Baha chasing in very quickly.
Las Palmas are set up in a very attacking 4-3-3 line-up and their defending so far has been uncompromising. An indication of this occurs when Malaga win the first corner of the game after 5'. Las Palmas keep their three strikers on the centre line, necessitating Malaga to keep three defenders back to cover them. In 9' Goitia makes his first save when Merino tries a snap shot from 25 yards. The shot is on target and moving and swerving in the air, but the Malaga number 13 holds on to the ball safely. In 11' Jesus Gamez sends in a spectacular long throw from the right touchline and finds Hidalgo all alone in the "D", but the new dad snatches his shot and it flies over the bar. In 14' Paulo Jorge keeps up his record of early bookings when he is cautioned for taking a free kick before the referee has blown his whistle. Eventually the kick is taken, this time by Rossato, but the Brazilian skies the ball well over. In 16', the three front men from the Canary Islands combine well and Marquez beats the offside trap to get through to Goitia. The goalkeeper is grateful to see the shot from the marksman come off his chest and to safety. Whew! It was against the run of play but serves as a reminder of how dangerous a counter-attack can be. In 17' Calleja is chopped down at halfway by full back Lopez Ramos, who is booked. Calleja takes the kick and finds Baha at the far post but the striker puts his shot wide. In 22' Weligton, who is having his toughest afternoon of the season marking Marquez, fouls the striker 20 yards out, conceding a free kick. Trashorras gets his head to the free kick and Goitia has to make another fine save. After such a frenetic start the game slows down and there now follows a midfield battle with many petty free kicks awarded by a fussy referee. In 30' Peragon becomes the second Malaga booking for wrestling down centre back Ione near the centre line. In 32' Las Palmas win their first corner. It comes to Trashorras at the near post but his shot hits the side netting. Trashorras, one of the front three in the 4-3-3 set up pushes through again in 34', but Weligton mops up after Rosario is beaten. In 35' Baha breaks through and is upended in the penalty box - nothing given. In 37' there is a major stooshie when Hidalgo fouls Juanma. Juanma, playing left midfield, has been wearing a rather unattractive face mask and Hidalgo's challenge appeared to have caused it to move slightly. However, the Las Palmas players were soon gathering around the new dad and much pushing and shouting ensued, whilst Juanma lay in a crumpled heap, with rigor mortis setting in, on the ground, unattended by anybody, including his fellow players, the medics or the referee. After the skirmishing had concluded, the referee booked both Hidalgo and Nauzet for their parts in the incident. The very still Juanma was carried off to the sideline for more treatment, but miraculously jumped to his feet and ran onto the pitch chasing a pass down the wing only minutes later. Thus every time he went near the ball afterwards, he was treated to a whistle symphony from the crowd. In 40' Darino becomes the sixth booking of the half so far, for unnecessarily following through on Goitia, with the referee struggling to keep players' tempers under control. In 44' Las Palmas almost snatch the lead after Marquez, who has the beating of Weligton, beats the Brazilian centre back again and passes to Trashorras, whose shot goes straight to Goitia's arms.
Half-time Málaga 0 Las Palmas 0
Unfortunately, there were no changes at half-time, with PJ and Calleja both still on the field despite contributing almost nothing to the proceedings so far. However, just as at the start of the first half, Jesus Gamez sends a long pass forward from his own half for BAHA to sensationally run onto and blast past Gonzalez, for the striker, recently called up to play for Morocco against Namibia later this month, to notch his fourth goal of the season. GGGOOOOAAAALLLLLL!!!!!! What a start to the half and suddenly, every worry is dispelled. Malaga can win this game and maintain their unbeaten record! Only 10 seconds have elapsed in the second half and we are ahead. Yippee!!! Malaga 1 Las Palmas 0 In 49' Jesus Gamez almost becomes provider again with a lung bursting run to the by-line; he crosses to Calleja at the far post, but the winger's header comes off the full back and over for a corner. In 51' Paulo Jorge gets in his first cross of the game to find Peragon. The little striker somehow out jumps the centre back to head powerfully towards goal and Gonzalez does well to tip the ball just over the bar. But Peragon is penalised for an infringement anyway, In 52' Nauzet is replaced by Adrian in the first of the game's substitutions. In 56' Baha, who has been a handful for the Las Palmas defence, gets a cross to Calleja, whose effort is booted out of play by Gonzalez. In 60' Las Palmas make another change, bringing on Pitu for Lopez Ramos. In 62' Gonzalez is booked for trying to take an offside free kick some 20 yards from the position of the crime. The crowd jeers "loco, loco!" In 64' the hobbling Peragon, who has suffered some treatment at the hands of the central defenders, particularly Ione, is replaced by Ivan Rosado, making his first appearance for Malaga in the league this season. In 66' Baha gives away a free kick 30 yards out. Las Palmas show that they are still a threat when Trashorras' kick is just tipped over by Goitia. In 69' Calleja is replaced by Eliseu. Merino is replaced by giant striker Casanova for Las Palmas' last substitution of the game. In 72' Weligton concedes another free kick after harassment from Marquez, but is the defender who powerfully heads the danger clear from the resultant free kick. The ball falls to Eliseu who tries to sprint forward with the ball, but he's tripped. However, the ball falls to Paulo Jorge, so the referee waves "play on", but Juanpa trips the Portuguese winger and they both crash to the ground. In 76' the ineffective Hidalgo, who is playing on past glories for his place in the team just now, is unbelievably given offside in his own half. The free kick is taken on the centre line! In 77' the masked one, Juanma, is booked for bringing down Paulo Jorge. His booking brings much delight to the home crowd. In 80' Ivan Rosado breaks through on goal, with the goal gaping in front of him. Showing a lack of confidence, he tries to square the ball to Baha and the chance to put the game well beyond Las Palmas is deflected for a corner. Eliseu takes the corner on the left and sends in a high looping swerving ball, which Gonzalez does well to prevent going in just under the bar at the far post. What a goal that would have been! In 84' Cheli is at last brought on for Paulo Jorge. Pitu is booked for a foul on Ivan Rosado. In 86' Baha keeps up the pressure by winning another corner. The ball breaks to Rossato, famed for his Roberto Carlos like shooting power. His daisy cutter is saved down low by Gonzalez. In 89' another excellent overlap by Jesus Gamez and the full back's cross finds Ivan Rosado alone 2 yards out in front of goal. Inexplicably, the striker manages to put his shot over the bar! In 90' Las Palmas win a corner on their left. For a few anxious moments we wait for the kick to be taken as Malaga pull everybody back to defend. When the cross comes over though, Goitia rises to catch and hold the ball. The fourth official says there are four added minutes to what has been an excellent football match to watch. In 92' Cheli breaks through the middle and passes square to Ivan Rosado. Surely the little striker will score this time, but no, his shot comes off the advancing Gonzalez. However IVAN ROSADO gets to the rebound first and crashes the ball into the back of the net to seal the game. Full time Málaga 2 Las Palmas 0
Malaga's record breaking run continues, but the news from Alicante is that Hercules have been beaten by Sporting, who remain second, still four points adrift. This performance has been one of Malaga's better one's against a tough team to break down and who will cause problems for many of the other teams in this league. Next week, we shall have to see if Malaga can keep their run going in another tough game away to Elche. It is being shown live on Canal+ in Spain next Sunday, so, never fear, Your Malaga CF Correspondent will be there in front of a TV in Bar La Veradera watching!
Crime Count:
Yellow cards = 9: Malaga 3 (Paulo Jorge, Peragon and Hidalgo). Las Palmas 6 (Lopez Ramos, Nauzet, Darino, Gonzalez, Juanma and Pitu) Red cards = 0