In a match that was largely uneventful for much of the game, Málaga FC defeated its Andalusian rival UD Almería 2-1 thanks to a double strike within six minutes and earned promotion to La Liga.
Two rivals, one dream: After a 0-0 draw in the first leg of the promotion playoff final to the Primera División, the Andalusian clubs UD Almería and Málaga FC battled it out on Saturday evening for the last remaining ticket to Spain’s top flight. Before kickoff, however, the match was overshadowed by bad news for the first time: On the way to the stadium, the visitors’ bus was pelted with stones—forcing the kickoff to be delayed by half an hour.
Malaga, however, did not seem fazed by the bumpy journey to the Andalusian showdown at the start. In fact, striker Chupete had already squandered a golden opportunity to take the lead after just five minutes, unmarked from nine meters out. After an attacking start, however, the importance of the match became apparent to both teams. The home side sought to control the game, while the visitors posed a latent threat on the counterattack. The play, however, took place mostly between the penalty areas and was characterized by a reluctance to take risks. Accordingly, the teams went into halftime with a deserved 0–0 score.
Even after the restart, the game’s dynamic remained unchanged at first. A terrible misplaced pass in the build-up ultimately came back to haunt Almería: Joaquín found Chupete—who had been unlucky up to that point—and Chupete slotted the ball into the far corner with his second touch to give his team a 1–0 lead (65th minute).
Leo Baptistao’s goal wasn’t enough
The home team was now under pressure—but Málaga, which had been relegated all the way to the third division in recent years, struck again: Larrubia curled the ball into the left corner with a silky finish (71.)—a double strike within six minutes. With their backs against the wall, Almería now went on the offensive as well and promptly reignited the tension with Leo Baptistao’s effortlessly executed goal (76′).
The match remained that way until the final seconds of the ten-minute stoppage time, as Málaga carelessly squandered a great chance against an Almería side that had pushed far up the field (81′), and at the other end, goalkeeper Herrero prevented the equalizer with a superb save with his foot (82′). In stoppage time, emotions finally ran high in a match that had been fair up to that point. Almería’s Thalys was sent off early for a violent foul (90’+4), and shortly before the end, Ochoa received an unnecessary yellow-red card, restoring numerical parity (90’+8).
Shortly afterward, Málaga’s promotion was finally confirmed: After eight years—including a stint in the third division—the visitors are returning to La Liga.
