Sevilla Vs. Málaga Fulltime: Sevilla Win 2-1 Despite Cazorla’s Late Strike

Sevilla eeked out a well-deserved 2-1 win against a Málaga side that looked disconnected and unsure of themselves for most of the match. Álvaro Negredo’s two first half goals held up despite Málaga’s late push that resulted in newly-acquired Santi Cazorla’s beautiful free kick goal in the 80th minute.

While this wasn’t the game I expected—I was thinking more like 4-3 to Málaga—it did contain some of the highlights we were looking for from a clash of two offensively dynamic yet defensively challenged teams: Negredo’s two goals in the first half were absolutely sublime, as was Cazorla’s perfectly placed free kick in the 80th minute.

Aside from that, though, the match lacked the pace and flare one would have expected: while Málaga dominated possession they were unable to put together a proper attack against a mediocre Sevilla defense. We can, at least, forgive Málaga for some of the way they played: they’re a very new team, with all the players (and the coach) just beginning to get a feel for each other.

Another of Málaga’s newly-acquired jewels, Joaquín, put on quite a show on the right side, though he had little to show for his pressure and speedy runs down the flanks. Striker Ruud van Nistelrooy looked tired and out of sync with his midfielders (read: old), and no one seemed to be able to put a ball close enough to his shoes or his forehead to make his presence known.

Sevilla, on the other hand, looked consistently dangerous on the counter attack, putting together lots of chances from their speed alone. Jesús Navas in particular combined well with Negredo on the break.

Both teams will be at least partially happy with the way they played: Málaga dominated possession but looked out of sync with each other, while Sevilla threatened constantly on the break and put away the majority of the chances they created. While the game itself wasn’t as entertaining as we thought it could have been, it was still an intriguing preview to both of these teams’ upcoming seasons.