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Malaga CF now find themselves in the top half of the Segunda league table after clinching a narrow 1-0 victory over bottom side Cartagena at a packed-out La Rosaleda stadium on Saturday night.
The win, which sealed their first back-to-back league victories this season, came as a relief to Sergio Pellicer's side who, due to the postponement of their league game in Levante because of the devastating flooding, hadn't played in more than a week. Last time out, Malaga were being dumped out of the Copa del Rey, suffering a major upset at the hands of fourth-tier Estepona.
Saturday's game offered its fair share of drama, too. Malaga initially missed a chance to go ahead when Kevin won a penalty following a VAR review after being manhandled just inside the box by Cedric. But despite the home crowd's anticipation, Dioni’s spot-kick low to the keeper's left was saved.
The game then saw another close call, as VAR ruled out a Nikola Sipcic's back-post header for offside in the 35th minute, denying the visitors a crucial advantage.
Unperturbed, Malaga continued pressing with Kevin and Lobete particularly active down the wings, and the latter coming close with a skidding strike from outside the box.
However, it was a centre-back who finally broke the deadlock, with Nelson Montes thighing in Lobete’s cross from the right in the fifth minute of additional time—a well-deserved reward for the hosts' first-half control.
After the break, Cartagena’s defence continued to struggle, but the intensity couldn't match that of a manic first 45.
Despite a close header from substitute Luca Sangalli and a powerful strike by Izan Merino, the scoreline remained unchanged, with Malaga’s steadfast defence ultimately preserving their lead.
In his post-match press conference, coach Pellicer was quick to praise his side’s work ethic, emphasising their “effort and dedication”, while admitting that their performance left “something to build on in upcoming matches”.
Next up is an away trip to face Real Zaragoza on Sunday night (kick off 9pm).
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