Malaga end their slump with 2-1 comeback win over Las Palmas
Malaga (Spain), Feb 21 (IANS) Malaga came from behind to edged past Las Palmas 2-1, the hosts’ first win in 10 matches in the ongoing La Liga season.
The first chance came in the 18th minute on Monday and it went to the visitors, who took a 1-0 lead on a direct free kick by Lemos from outside the area, reports Efe.
The home side, who had dominated possession to that point, kept their composure and pulled level in the 26th minute, when Pablo Fornals gathered the ball after a corner and swept it into the Las Palmas net.
Pouring on the pressure, Malaga took the lead in the 35th minute on a goal by Charles, the beneficiary of a great pass from Keko.
Malaga started the second half looking for more and both Keko and Fornals got chances, though the embattled visitors came close to equalizing on a shot that caught home side keeper Kameni out of position only to bounce off the post.
Alone in front of the Las Palmas goal, Fornals missed the target, while visiting keeper Javi Varas denied Camacho on a header.
The match changed in the 70th minute with the ejection of Malaga’s Jose Rodriguez after he picked up a second yellow card, forcing the home team to focus on protecting the slim lead.
Las Palmas enjoyed a man advantage until the 82nd minute, when Castellano – the third sub of the match – went down with an injury.
Malaga climbed to 13th place, with 26 points from 23 matches, two points behind Las Palmas.