Home run continues as Malaga return to winning ways

Bottom side Gimnàstic arrived at La Rosaleda on Saturday afternoon with the unenviable task of trying to become the first team this season to take even a point from the capital of the Costa del Sol.

And while the hosts remained weakened by injury, the side had a more familiar feel to it with captain Federico Ricca, Adrián, Alfred NDiaye and Javi Ontiveros all returning from bans having been sorely missed the week before as the Blue and Whites twice threw away a lead in Gijón to fall to fourth place.

Juan Ramón Muñiz's side would be more forbidable this time and controlled the play from the very start.

Summer signing Renato Santos, making his first start after returning from injury (and following his impressive cameo in Gijón), picked up where he left off, causing Nàstic left-back Brugui all sorts of problems. Renato's pace and trickery, in fact, brought about the opening goal.

The Portuguese, chasing an overhit long pass, pressed Josua sufficiently to force him into an error, setting himself free down the right. Striker Mamadou Koné then peeled away at the back post and was found perfectly by the inch-perfect cross to head Malaga into the lead after 25 minutes.

Nàstic, defending with a flat back five, were pegged back by Malaga's full-backs Ricca and Iván who pressed high upfield. The former had two golden opportunities to double his side's lead before half time, volleying Ontiveros' freekick over the bar from just six yards out, before heading Renato's corner wide from an even smaller distance.

Sead Haksabanovic, who has been subject of a lot of speculation over his future recently, came on for his long-awaited debut at half time in place of Koné who is expected to be ruled out for a month with an injury to his left thigh.

The Montenegrin looked at home in the number 10 role and his quick footwork laid on an opportunity for Ontiveros who whipped his shot wide of the right-hand post.

If the match wasn't already firmly in home side's favour, it certainly was with 15 minutes to go when Tete picked up his second yellow card for a mistimed sliding tackle on Ontiveros near the corner flag.

The hosts double their lead in stoppage time when Gustavo Blanco Leschuk picked up the ball from the short corner before beating his man and sliding the ball across the face of goal for Adrián to side foot in at the back post.

"We deserved the second goal," said Muñiz after the game. "If anything it should have come earlier."

The win moves Malaga back up to second place, just one point behind new leaders Alcorcón who beat Elche 1-0. Malaga are one of eight remaining unbeaten teams at home; that said, they are the only one to have won all seven of their games, only conceding once in that period.