Adrián Niño bags crucial late equaliser for Malaga CF in top-of-the-table clash

In their second away fixture in four days, Malaga CF rescued a crucial point on Saturday evening with a 1-1 draw away to Deportivo La Coruña, their third consecutive stalemate.

Facing direct competition in the fight for promotion, the visitors had to avoid defeat to arrest a slide which has seen them go from contenders for automatic promotion to holding on to the final play-off place.

Despite the absence of key midfielders Dani Lorenzo and Carlos Dotor, Malaga began with confidence. During a generally cautious start to the game from both sides, they nonetheless managed to threaten Dépor’s goal thanks to efforts from Joaquín and Chupete.

However, as the first half progressed, Deportivo grew into the game and began to create problems.

In the 24th minute, a slip from last-man Juanpe first forced an important save by goalkeeper Alfonso Herrero from Bil Nsongo's tame effort. Then, in the same move, a goal by Stoichkov was ruled out for offside.

The home side increased the pressure before the break, but Alfonso’s heroics ensured the match remained goalless at half time. First, he pulled off a superb diving save to deny Giacomo Quagliata's left-footed volley from 30 yards out, then he used his reflexes to prevent Adrià Altimira's effort from nestling into the net.

After the restart, Deportivo carried their momentum forward and dominated proceedings. Malaga struggled to keep possession and were pinned back for long periods, with a double chance falling to the home side minutes after the restart.

Despite the pressure, Malaga offered a brief warning to the hosts, producing a rare counterattack when Joaquín, having cut in from the left, struck the far post with a wildly dipping and swerving effort.

However, Deportivo’s persistence paid off in the 74th minute, when substitute forward Samuele Mulattieri took advantage of some slack Malaga defending. The Italian chased a hopeful ball in behind Javi Montero before converting the one-on-one to open the scoring.

Despite the carnival atmosphere inside Riazor, Malaga responded almost immediately. Coach Juan Francisco Funes made changes, including introducing Adrián Niño, who made an immediate impact, scoring a cushioned volley from a corner to level the match just minutes after coming on.

The closing stages became increasingly open, with both teams pushing forward in search of a winner.

However, neither side could find it and Malaga held on for a point that could prove significant in their bid to remain in the mix for promotion to La Liga.