Samu Castillejo restores faith in Málaga

Málaga CF beat Valencia CF 1-0 to draw a close on the Liga BBVA matchday 21 action. The result means the Costa del Sol outfit have put an end to their run of four matches without a win and have also restored some morale following their recent Copa del Rey exit.

The Andalusians, who were very well organised in defence, imposed their play during the first half and prevented the visitors from causing any damage on the break. Javi Gracia’s men turned their dominance into a 1-0 lead thanks Samu Castillejo, bagging his first goal of the season. With the home team in front, the teams began to apply more pressure on each other. Carlos Kameni denied a Valencia equaliser when he saved a left-footed Rodrigo Moreno effort. Málaga stuck to their game plan and could have doubled their lead if not for Javi Guerra’s intervention in a one-on-one.

The men between the sticks were the stars of the show in the second half, with André Gomes and José Luis Gayá’s attempts being kept out much to the frustration of the Valencia fans, while Sergi Darder was unable to make it 2-0 for the home side. There was still time for another chance on goal but Nourredine Amrabat’s strike riffled off Diego Alves post. The game finished 1-0, an important win for Málaga who are in seventh place with 35 points.