Errors all over the field cost Malaga again

Only a win would do, so the visitors could ill afford to sit back and soak up pressure, but an early chance from Nabil El Zhar saw their characteristic cautiousness return.

Despite creating two half chances of their own through Diego Rolan, you could have forgiven the fans inside the part-covered ground on a miserable rainy day if they had demanded their entry fee back at half time.

However, the game opened up in the second half, mostly due to the visitors lack of legs in midfield. With Mehdi Lacen, Chory Castro and Manuel Iturra all pushing 34 years of age, and the latter two playing three games in the past week, Leganés started to take control of the game.

Within ten minutes of the restart, the hosts had the lead as Javier Eraso headed home Diego Ricos cross from the left. Replays showed, however, that Rico had strayed offside in the build-up.

This saw Malaga revert to type as Ideye replaced Bueno, but the Nigerian was on the field barely two minutes before former Malaga winger Nordin Amrabat doubled Leganés lead with a powerful low strike from the edge of the area.

The reaction from González on the bench was much too late. With the tide already turned, Zdravko Kuzmanovic and Juanpi entered the fray in place of Iturra and Chory but it was too little, too late.

Neither had the desired impact or any at all for that matter given their lack of match practice- and the game petered out to a disappointing, and entirely predictable, conclusion.

Up next for Malaga is the daunting task of a visit from league leaders Barcelona to La Rosaleda on Saturday night.