Málaga 1 - Celta 4

Málaga: Contreras; Rojas, Fernando Sanz (Basti 65'), Bravo, Roteta; Rufete, De los Santos (Agostinho 46'), Sandro, Movilla (Zárate 65'); Edgar, Dely Valdés. 4-4-2.
Celta: Cavallero; Velasco, Berizzo, Cáceres, Juanfran; Giovanella, Jayo; Edu, Mostovoi (Karpin 75'), Jesuli (Gustavo López 60'); Catanha (McCarthy 82'). 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Málaga: Bravo, Edgar for Larrainzar, Darío Silva / Celta: Juanfran, Giovanella, Jesuli, Edu for Yago, Vagner, Karpin, Gustavo López.

Goals:
0-1. 14.Jesuli. Took pass from Mostovoi on left before rounding Rojas to score.
0-2. 36. Mostovoi (penalty). After Bravo ruled to have tripped Edu from behind.
1-2. 45. Dely Valdés. Shot low past keeper after Roteta turned ball back from left.
1-3. 60. Catanha. Strong header into net after corner from right.
1-4. 67. Catanha. Headed over keeper into net after Bravo caught ball watching.

Celta went on to their fourth league win in a row and their tenth match without defeat to move up to within a point of sixth placed Villarreal. And they did it with a comfortable away victory against another of the on-form teams Málaga, who themselves had picked up ten points in their last four games. The pre-match build up centred around the return of Catanha to the club he left last season, and although a couple of idiots threw stones at him in the street before the game, he received a warm welcome from the real fans coming on to the pitch. Even when the Hispano-Brazilian star scored twice in the second half fans still didn't get at him, the player refusing to celebrate in his seagull style and instead asking for forgiveness, and when he was replaced by McCarthy near the end he again was given a rousing ovation.

By the time Catanha got his goals Málaga were already behind, with youngsters Jesuli and Edu taking advantage to shine as Víctor Fernández left the tired Karpin and Gustavo López on the bench at the start of the game. Jesuli opened the scoring in the fourteenth minute cutting in from the left before shooting low in to the net, although Málaga felt they were hard done by as Contreras's view was blocked by Edu who was standing in a clear offside position. Ten minutes before half time referee Megia Dávila further upset the locals with a controversial penalty decision ruling that Bravo had pushed over Edu in the box, and Mostovoi made no mistake from the spot. Catanha's replacement Dely Valdés pulled one back just on half time, equalling his opposite number's fourteen goals in the league, but he was missing his suspended strike partner Darío Silva, and Edgar was no replacement.

Catanha finished things off then with his brace in the second half, his second goal coming from a defensive mistake as Bravo and Contreras left a long high ball for each other, the striker nipping in to head over the keeper in to an empty net. Málaga lost their nerves after that, with Roteta getting himself sent off for insulting the referee ten minutes from time. Peiró replaced a tired De los Santos with Agostinho at the break and played with four forwards on the park for the last twenty minutes, but his side were well beaten. Their hopes of playing in Europe next season took a serious blow and they drop a couple of places down to tenth, still though only three points away from sixth place. But this was Catanha's night, and Celta are back after being near the relegation spots only two or three months ago. Víctor Fernández is looking a happier man these days.