Atlético Madrid went on the attack in the second half, as you knew they would, trailing 2-0. They looked much better in possession and the space and time Málaga were getting in the first half, didn’t appear to be there anymore. Instead, Málaga was content to absorb pressure and hold on to their lead. Trouble is, all the possession in the world doesn’t do any good if you aren’t able to create any goal scoring opportunities with it.
Atlético Madrid Vs. Málaga: Málaga Earns An Important 3-0 Victory
Atlético tried to change things up in the 60th minute, replacing the ineffective Raúl García with Diego Forlán and it did seem to help a bit. Forlán brought some needed offensive aggression but the second half clock continued to tick on and Madrid wasn’t finding goals.
In the 84th minute Málaga sealed the victory. Enzo Maresca, who had literally just stepped on the pitch, came charging in to the box and buried a rebound past David De Gea. It was exactly the finish Málaga were looking for, hitting back on the counter after doing an excellent job soaking up what pressure Atlético could create.
Málaga goalkeeper Wilfredo Caballero proved his toughness after taking an accidental studs-up challenge right in the groin. It looked as awful as it sounds, but Caballero was on his feet quickly and continued the match. He even prevented Atlético from pulling a goal back late with two excellent point blank saves to preserve the clean sheet.
It’s a huge three points for Málaga and a bad loss at home for Atlético whose hopes for Europa League qualification where not helped by today’s result.
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