Torremolinos battle back with ten men to hold Antequera in Malaga derby

All three Malaga province sides in Primera RFEF Group 2, the third tier of Spanish football, recorded 1–1 draws this weekend.

The spotlight was firmly on the derby in Torremolinos, where Antequera CF squandered the chance to claim their first win of the campaign despite playing against ten men for over half the match.

Meanwhile, Marbella FC’s unbeaten start rolls on, though their fourth successive draw left mixed feelings.

Antequera will feel they let slip a golden opportunity at El Pozuelo after Juventud de Torremolinos were reduced to ten men just before half time. Midfielder Steve Lesedi was dismissed following two quick bookings, leaving the hosts to battle uphill.

Despite that setback, they had already tested Javi Cuenca through Christian, Iban Ribeiro and Osama Chit, while Antequera struck early in the second half when Luismi Gutiérrez burst clear and laid on a finish for Osama.

The hosts refused to fold, however, and centre-back Javi Mérida levelled with a spectacular acrobatic strike from a corner on 66 minutes.

Antequera pushed late on, coming closest when Luna’s cross nearly crept in, but Abel Gómez’s men remain without a win and under pressure.

For Torremolinos, off-field uncertainty over unpaid wages and ownership only adds to their challenges, but three games unbeaten offers some encouragement in their survival fight.

Elsewhere, Marbella preserved their unbeaten start thanks to a dramatic 88th-minute equaliser from Chinese forward Du, who rose highest to head home from a corner. It salvaged a point after Borja Alonso had fired Betis B ahead on the counter.

The hosts struggled for rhythm in attack, with Álex López and Tahiru both denied before Du’s late intervention.

Although Marbella can point to resilience, four consecutive draws underline the need to turn stalemates into wins if they are to push towards the top end of the table.