Málaga Club Focus - Pellegrini frustrated as Málaga fire blanks again
Malaga’s shortcomings were once again in evidence as they crashed to yet another defeat away from home on Sunday. It is already clear that some fundamental failings will need to be remedied for next season if, as seems increasingly possible, Manuel Pellegrini’s expensively assembled side fails to clinch a European qualification place at the end of this one.
Sunday’s 3-0 loss at Athletic Bilbao, which saw the club slip to ninth place in La Liga, was Malaga’s fifth consecutive defeat away from La Rosaleda. Pellegrini’s men have taken only eight points from a possible 36 on their travels and it is now three months since they last tasted victory on the road, at struggling Racing Santander. Only Zaragoza, Villarreal and Sporting Gijon have a worse away record.
Defeat at San Mames was not unexpected against a side that has reached the final of the Copa del Rey and is going well in Europe, as well as making a concerted push for European qualification once again. It is the manner of the defeat, however, that will have disappointed the Coach, the management and the fans, not to mention the players themselves.
Not for the first time in a season riddled with inconsistency, Malaga dominated against Athletic, particularly in the first half, but lacked incisiveness in the final third and failed to put any of their numerous chances away. They might claim in mitigation the fine form of Gorka Iraizoz – the Athletic goalkeeper twice denied Salomon Rondon and kept out shots from Santi Cazorla and Alarcon Isco – but could have sealed the match by the interval.
Not only was Malaga’s failure to capitalise on clear scoring opportunities punished three times in four second half minutes, but to add insult to injury, their vulnerability at set pieces was cruelly exposed, with two of the goals resulting from corners. Unsurprisingly, Pellegrini was frustrated that his players missed so many chances while Athletic were able to take the few that came their way.
“We created thirteen attacks and numerous shots on goal in the first half, but nothing came of them,” said the Chilean. “Then there were the goals from set pieces, but otherwise Athletic hardly got close to us, we were almost always in control, but ultimately it was decided by these specific incidents.”
"The same thing happened in Granada,” the Coach continued, referring to his side’s previous away defeat. “We frequently failed to convert chances while our opponents did so without creating that many. I’m satisfied with the way the team played, but we have not achieved the result we needed. We must continue to keep working and contesting every point.”
The good news for Pellegrini is that, with only four points separating fourth place from tenth in La Liga, Malaga have by no means lost touch with the upper reaches of the table, despite their poor away form. They have won their last two games at home, against Sevilla and Mallorca, a sequence they have a good chance of extending next Saturday, when basement side Zaragoza are the visitors to La Rosaleda.
Meanwhile, one bright spot for Pellegrini on Sunday was the return of Joaquin Sanchez after two months on the sidelines with a thigh injury. The former Valencia midfielder made a welcome return at San Mames, replacing Seba Fernandez in the second half. Goalkeeper Carlos Kameni, a January signing from Espanyol as cover for Willy Caballero, was once again on the Malaga bench.
Cameroon international Kameni remains lacking in match fitness, but was selected by Pellegrini last Wednesday when 5,500 fans turned up at the Estadio Ciudad de Malaga to see Los Boquerones draw 2-2 in a friendly against Spartak Moscow. Joaquin and Enzo Maresca scored Malaga’s goals and Kameni was happy to have got some much needed playing time under his belt.
“It was a little strange, it’s been ages since I last played a match,” Kameni said after the game. “I’m working with the squad and I’m quickly picking up the pace. The way the club and the fans welcomed me was brilliant, and I feel as though I’ve been playing here for years. It’s a club that wants to grow and aspires to many things and I’m happy to help this club reach its objectives.
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