Malaga CF scrape past fourth-tier Peña Deportiva on penalties

The Blue and Whites made it to the second round of the Copa del Rey, but were unable to beat their hosts in regular time

RICARDO DEZA

Monday, 14 November 2022, 10:43

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Malaga CF defeated Peña Deportiva 8-7 on penalties in the opening round of the Copa del Rey. The Blue and Whites struggled to beat their Ibiza-based hosts in regular time, but were just about able to get the job done against the fourth-tier team.

Though the earlier stages of the cup torunament usually sees bigger team field lesser-experienced players, head coach Pepe Mel still chose a strong starting eleven.

Peña Deportiva got off to a flying start and enjoyed several chances that caused problems for the Andalusians, who had to defend with their lives. The hosts would be rewarded for their efforts after half an hour, as they were able to convert a penalty caused by goalkeeper Manolo Reina.

The Blue and Whites almost conceded a second goal minutes later, but stood their ground before going on to grab an equaliser through Fran Sol on the brink on half-time.

The score remained level for the second half and the duration of extra time. In the penalty shoot out, Malaga proved to be the more convincing side, netting each of their eight penalties, while their opponents scored all but one.

The Andalusians will return to league action on Saturday 19 November at 9pm, when they travel to Real Zaragoza in desperate need of points to kick-start their season.

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