Two second-half goals help Malaga CF fight back to draw with Al-Ittihad in promising pre-season display

Malaga CF came from two goals behind to draw 2-2 with Al-Ittihad in their second pre-season friendly, producing their strongest performance of the summer so far after the interval.

The Saudi side took control early on at Marbella Football Center on Thursday evening, with Steven Bergwijn opening the scoring in the first minute after capitalising on a defensive mistake.

George Ilenikhena doubled their advantage in the 34th minute with a long-range strike that beat Carlos López.

The 'home' side improved significantly in the second half after Juanfran Funes made several changes, with the team dominating possession and creating a series of chances.

Forward Adrián Niño reduced the deficit in the 54th minute with a shot from the edge of the area before Joaquín Muñoz completed the comeback five minutes later after being set up by Niño.

The result was another pre-season draw for Malaga, following their opening friendly with Leicester City, but the second-half performance provided encouragement to the around 1,000 supporters present ahead of the new campaign.

New arrivals Fernando Calero and José Salinas made their first appearances for the club, with Salinas particularly impressive after offering a constant attacking threat from left-back.

However, the match ended with concern over winger Juan Cruz, who was replaced in the second half after suffering discomfort.

Malaga coach Funes said the improvement after the break reflected the team’s identity. "In the second half we were more like ourselves. We’re happy," he said.

The match also gave opportunities to several academy players, while Carlos Dotor and Dani Lorenzo helped Malaga take control of midfield during a dominant second period.