Einar Galilea snatches last-gasp winner to seal perfect start for Malaga CF's new coach

The Juan Francisco Funes era got off to the perfect start as Malaga CF staged a heart-stopping comeback to beat Mirandés 3-2 in the dying moments of their clash at La Rosaleda on Sunday night. Defender Einar Galilea scored the decisive goal in the final minute of added time, ensuring the new boss began his tenure with a win.

The former reserve-team coach fielded a starting eleven similar to former coach Sergio Pellicer’s last line-up, with youngster Ángel Recio stepping in due to absences in central defence. Izan Merino acted as the pivot, and Carlos Dotor and Dani Lorenzo were tasked with building attacks from midfield.

Overall, Malaga tried a more controlled, combinative style, and the match appeared to be firmly in their control after Adrián Niño scored twice in the first half.

The first goal came after a perfectly worked move in transition: after Carlos Puga's incisive pass, Dotor received the ball on the right-hand side from Niño, returning the ball to the centre-forward, who swept the ball high into the side netting with his first touch.

Three minutes later, Niño struck again when a long ball over the top for Joaquín to chase resulted in a mix-up between two defenders and the goalkeeper, allowing the striker to tap home his second into an unguarded net. Both strikes showcased Niño’s sharpness and composure in front of goal.

After forcing keeper Alfonso Herrero into a triple save in first-half stoppage time, Mirandés responded after the break, exploiting Malaga’s high defensive line. In the 59th minute, a low through-ball bypassed Galilea and found Alberto Marí, who finished calmly in the one-on-one to reduce the deficit.

The equaliser came 20 minutes later when Gonzalo Petit converted Salim El Jebari's cross from the left, winning his header in front of Galilea who was caught flatfooted once again.

These goals exposed the home side’s vulnerabilities at the back and, naturally, brought renewed tension to La Rosaleda.

But despite Mirandés’ comeback, Malaga continued to press for the winner. And it wasn't until the final moments, four minutes into stoppage time, that Galilea made amends, reacting fastest to a loose ball inside the penalty area following Julen Lobete's half-blocked shot, slotting it into the net, sending the stadium into delirium.

The goal secured a hard-fought, if nervy, victory for Malaga and marked a promising start for Funes - even as fans continue to call for changes at the top.