Tag Archives: Malaga

Malaga aim to continue Euro bid

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Monday’s La Liga action sees Malaga look to cement their place in the Champions League qualification places courtesy of a win against Europa League hopefuls Osasuna.

Manuel Pellegrini’s men are currently in fourth position, two points clear of Levante in fifth.

Malaga travel to Reyno de Navarra in Pamplona on Monday evening looking to ensure they will take the fight with Los Che for the third spot, which avoids the need of a play-off to qualify for the Champions League group stage, to their massive upcoming showdown at La Rosaleda.

Malaga star Santi Cazorla claims they have “five finals” remaining, starting with the match at Osasuna this week.

Los Boquerones have been in stuttering form of late with just two wins in their last five games including a 1-1 draw at home to Real Sociedad last time out following on from a 2-1 defeat at Villarreal the week before.

However, they could be boosted by the return of influential duo both Joaquin Sanchez and Julio Baptista for the run-in which Cazorla feels could swing things back in their favour.

“Joaquin was in great form when he was injured and we are a much stronger side with Julio in it. They are two key players,” he said.

Osasuna are also in some inconsistent form ahead of the action with Jose Luis Mendilibar’s men losing three of their last four games, which included shipping five and six goals against Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano respectively.

However, they will know a win against Malaga could move them up the table and to within just two points of their opponents with European football very much in their sights.

Osasuna have also enjoyed the best of the recent head-to-heads with two wins a three draws in their past five meetings, including a 3-0 win in last season?s encounter on home soil.

Both sides would be boosted by picking up three points but Cazorla?s admission that Malaga would just be happy to avoid defeat on their travels – at Osasuna, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona – and pick up maximum points in their remaining home games against Valencia and struggling Sporting Gijon.

Therefore, it appears that both sides will cancel each other out and share the spoils.

Prediction: Draw 90 Minutes @ 12/5
Value Bet: 1-1 Correct Score @ 11/2.

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Malaga to sink Yellow Submarine

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Thursday evening’s Primera Division action sees three games which involve teams scrapping for points to pull away from relegation trouble, while the pick of the matches has high-flying Malaga looking to boost their Champions League hopes at struggling Villarreal.

Manuel Pellegrini’s Costa del Sol outfit sit in third spot in the table after jumping above Valencia courtesy of the weekend’s 3-0 mauling of Racing Santander and travel to El Madrigal looking to secure another three points which will ensure Villarreal remain just outside the relegation places in 17th place.

Malaga have hit a decent run of form at the right time with six wins in their last nine games, while they have been boosted by the news Julio Baptista could return from a long-term foot injury before the end of the season.

Influential midfielder Jeremy Toulalan and goalkeeper Willy Caballero will both miss the run-in, but Spain international Joaquin Sanchez could figure against Villarreal on Thursday after a two-game injury absence.

Playmaker Santi Cazorla is also aiming to help Malaga defeat the club he left last summer in a 20million euros deal, but expects a tough encounter against his former team-mates.

“It will be a very difficult game, not only because they have a great team but because they are in a delicate situation and need the points,” he said.

Villarreal, who finished in fourth spot last season, have endured a disappointing campaign and are in a poor run of form with just one win in their last nine, so will have their work cut out.

Despite that, Yellow Submarine coach Miguel Angel Lotina feels Malaga ‘are a nice opponent for us’.

Malaga won 2-1 in the game between the clubs earlier this season, but Villarreal have not been beaten on home soil by Los Boquerones in the previous two Primera Division campaigns.

But with the run of form the two sides are on we expect the visitors to just have the edge on Thursday.

Prediction: Malaga Away 90 Minutes @ 7/4
Value Bet: Draw/Malaga HT/FT @ 9/2

Racing Santander go into Thursday’s home clash against Real Mallorca well aware that time is running out on their bid for survival as they currently sit in second-bottom spot and are seven points adrift of safety.

However Alvaro Cervera’s side are stuck in a poor run of form with four defeats and a draw in their last five games which has edged them closer to the drop.

Mallorca had eased their own relegation fears with two successive wins, before two straight defeats and a draw in the last three has left them looking over their shoulders once again.

Therefore it is a crunch fixture which could see Racing pull themselves back into contention for safety or Mallorca will virtually guarantee survival, while a draw will probably help the visitors out of the two sides.

Racing won last season’s home clash 2-0, but Mallorca edged the game earlier this season 2-1 so expect a close encounter.

It is a must-win match for Racing, but it does not seem that they have enough about them to get one and we expect Mallorca to secure a share of the spoils.

Prediction: Draw 90 Minutes @ 9/4
Value Bet: 1-1 Correct Score @ 11/2

Thursday’s third clash sees struggling Real Zaragoza, who occupy 18th place in the Primera Division travel to face a Sevilla side with ambitions of securing a top-six finish.

Zaragoza head to Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on the back of a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Barcelona on Saturday, but they had won the three games before that to move to within four points of fourth-bottom Villarreal.

Therefore Minolo Jimenez’s side should be in good spirits for the game against a Sevilla side which saw its hopes of a European place suffer a set-back in Sunday’s 1-0 defeat at Athletic Bilbao which also followed a run of three straight victories.

Sevilla coach Michel was disappointed with the weekend’s defeat and called on his players to respond quickly as they currently sit four points off sixth-placed Osasuna ahead of the game.

Sevilla have enjoyed the better of the head-to-heads with four wins in the last five meetings and that should continue on Thursday.

Prediction: Sevilla Home Win 90 Minutes @ 1/2
Value Bet: Sevilla 3-1 Correct Score @ 10/1

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Malaga to edge derby spoils

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Monday’s Spanish Primera Division action sees Malaga bid to keep their push for a European place on track with a tricky derby trip to face struggling Andalusian rivals Granada.
Manuel Pellegrini’s big-spending Malaga outfit have stuttered of late, but he will hope last weekend’s first win in seven outings against Sevilla will mark the start of a good run of results given that they currently sit just four points behind Levante who occupy fourth spot in the standings.
However, their task will not be helped by the continued absence of Ruud van Nistelrooy, Julio Baptista and Joaquin as the trio continue to work their way back to full fitness following injury problems.
The loss of Joaquin in particular is significant given that he scored a brace, along with midfielder Santi Cazorla, in a comprehensive 4-0 victory at La Rosaleda in the corresponding clash earlier in the season.
However, defender Weligton is confident that Malaga will travel to face Granada in good heart looking to pick up as many points as they possibly can from the ‘important’ next five or six fixtures.
But he is expecting a tough encounter against a side which could be back in the relegation places by the time the match kicks off at Los Carmenes on Monday evening.
He said on the club’s website: “They’re playing at home with a new manager (Abel Resino) who’s motivating the team and it’s going to be a very difficult match.
“Everyone sets out their own objective, of being as high up as possible, but we know that we have to win the next match.
“It’s close, we have to be focused and we know the importance of getting the win.”
Granada benefitted from new manager syndrome in their previous outing after recording a valuable 2-1 win against Real Betis to end their own run of poor results.
Resino bolstered El Grana with a transfer deadline day loan swoop for Sao Paulo’s exciting 20-year-old Brazilian striker Henrique, who could well make his first-team debut in the encounter.
As we mentioned earlier, Malaga were comfortable winners in the most recent Andalusian derby in September, but the two sides’ overall Primera Division record is very even with both teams enjoying four wins apiece with five draws.
We expect a tight game with both sides desperate for points to help their respective targets for the remainder of the campaign, but Malaga should have just enough to edge the points.
Prediction: Malaga Away Win 90 Minutes @ 13/10
Value Bet: Malaga To Win 2-1 Correct Score @ 8/1

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Malaga to conquer Villarreal

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Another superb weekend of La Liga football is rounded of on Monday night when this season’s surprise strugglers, Villareal, travel to La Rosaleda to face big-spending Malaga (Malaga 4/6, draw 11/4, Villareal 4/1).

Both sides went into the season with high hopes but have regularly disappointed and will be looking at this match as a chance to find some inspiration for the rest of the season.

After being taken over by rich backers earlier in the year, Malaga have seen themselves transformed from relegation candidates to Champions League hopefuls but despite heavy investment have struggled to impose themselves on the division this season.

However, they’re currently on a good run of form having not lost in their last three and coach Manuel Pellegrini will be hoping for a big performance on Monday.

Key to this will undoubtedly be playmaker Santi Cazorla (13/8 to score anytime) who faces his old club for the time since his move in the summer.

The Spanish international was courted by a number of Europe’s top sides before moving to Andalucia and has been ‘Los Boquerrones’ stand out payer so far this campaign and has often carried the team on his own.

He’ll be expected to be the man to ignite the talented Malaga attack so keep an eye on him as he often has a say on the outcome of his side’s matches.

Cazorla’s partner in crime is often Venezuelan striker Solomon Rondon (11/8 to score anytime), who is likely to be the man charged with leading the line.

Rondon appears to have significantly improved this season but has been rather goal-shy this term and has only netted once in the league.

Villareal have a notoriously leaky defence, though, and Rondon will be looking to take advantage of any slip-ups. The ‘Yellow Submarine’ have had a torrid time of it this year and have only won one of their 12 games this season. This has been mainly down to the absence of star strikers Giuseppe Rossi and Nilmar and their lack of goals is slowly becoming a major worry.

Their injury list currently contains a number of their stars but boss Juan Carlos Garrido can welcome back Argentine defender Gonzalo Rodriguez for the match and he will be looking to him to make a major difference to his struggling backline.

Rodriguez has all the attributes needed to be a top quality central defender and on his day can be world class. Garrido will be hoping he can bounce straight back into form in Andalucia.

Another player to look out for is former West Brom midfielder Borja Valero (10/3 to score at anytime). In the absence of the likes of Rossi and Cani, much of  the Castellon side’s creativity now comes through him and, with all the injuries, he is now one of the side’s senior players.

Valero is the type of player who can make something out of nothing and will be hoping to put his stamp on the game.

However, with all Villareal’s problems, its hard not to look past a Malaga win and with the players at their disposal should come out comfortable victors.

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Malaga to cash-in on Santander

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In Monday evening’s only Spanish Primera Liga clash Malaga will look to secure maximum points at Racing Santander at the fourth time of asking in recent meetings.

Manuel Pellegrini’s Malaga side occupy sixth position in the standings at the time of writing and can move to within four points of current third-placed side Valencia with a victory against Racing.

The Chilean coach’s options are limited due to the loss of key men such as Julio Baptista and Kris Stadsgaard due to respective injury problems, while he could also be tempted to make some changes as several of his players have returned from international duty over the past few days.

Ruud van Nistelrooy, Enzo Maresca and Sergio Sanchez could all gain a start in the game.

Malaga’s target of a top-four finish and Champions League qualification this season was hindered by a draw against Real Betis in the Andalucian derby last time out. Therefore three points are the target on this occasion in order to keep pressure on the teams above them.

However, that mission will not be helped by the fact that Racing have a decent record against them and they will be hoping to continue that at the Estadio El Sardinero as they need points for very different reasons.

Hector Cuper’s side currently occupy third-bottom spot and could find themselves in deeper trouble should Sunday’s results go against them.

They go into the match without the suspended striker Ariel Nahuelpan, whilst Lautaro Acosta, Kennedy Bakircioglu and Jairo Samperio are all out due to injury.

However, Cuper is boosted by the return of Papakouli Diop from suspension and veteran midfielder Gonzalo Colsa is set to play for the first time this season after surgery as they look to go one better than the goalless draw with fellow strugglers Granada a fortnight ago.

It looks like the scene is set for Malaga to secure three points at Racing Santander, although the recent form guide suggests it will be a tricky test for Pellegrini’s men.

Racing have picked up five points from their last three games, including a win against Real Betis and draw at Seville, while Malaga have been rocked by the loss of Baptiste to a foot injury which will sideline him for another month.

And, Pellegrini summed up how difficult it will be for his Malaga side to come out on top when he said: “They’re not an easy opponent, we’re prepared for a difficult, close game tomorrow, where the difference will be minimal.”

With that in mind, we feel the likely outcome will be another share of the spoils in this Monday night showdown.

Prediction: Draw 90 Minutes @ 9/4
Value Bet: Draw 1-1 Correct Score @ 11/2

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