Alavés 3 - Málaga 2

Alavés: Costanzo; Edu Alonso, Sarriegi, Juanito, Coromina; De Lucas (Poli 78'), Astudillo, Carpintero (Jandro 54'), Nené; Bodipo (Pellegrino 68'), Aloisi. 4-4-2.
Málaga: Arnau; Gerardo, Litos, César Navas (Antonio López 74'), Alexis; Edgar (Gabriel 63'), Bovio (Juan Rodríguez 68'), Hidalgo, Duda; Pablo Couñago, Chengue Morales. 4-4-2.

Team changes: Alavés: Juanito, De Lucas for Pellegrino, Jandro / Málaga: César Navas, Duda, Chengue Morales for Nacho, Antonio López, Salva.

Goals:
1-0. 44. César Navas (own goal). Turned ball past own keeper trying to clear.
2-0. 50. Aloisi. Fired shot past keeper after defence failed to clear free kick.
3-0. 58. Bodipo. Charged down clearance from keeper to deflect ball into net.
3-1. 70. Duda. Bent free kick over defensive wall wide of keeper.
4-1. 90. Hidalgo. Hooked ball in on far post following corner.

Alavés climbed out of the relegation spots with a 3-2 victory over Málaga, who themselves drop down in to the bottom three as a result. The Basque side have improved enormously under coach Juan Carlos Oliva, and they could have gone ahead several times in the first half, Aloisi, Nené and Bodipo all failing to beat Arnau. But with the first half coming to an end, the visitin defence failed to clear Nené's corner, and César Navas hooked the ball in to his own net trying to clear whilst lying on the ground.

Five minutes after the restart Aloisi made it two after latching on to a loose ball in the area following a free kick, the referee ignoring a claim seconds earlier for a penalty after the ball hit Alexis on the arm. And soon afterwards Bodipo made it three when he charged down a clearance from Arnau, the ball bouncing back in to the net.

New coach Manolo Hierro decided it was time to make changes, and his side got one back when Duda (playing his first match since making his peace with the club) curled a free kick past Costanzo. It was not enough however, and although Hidalgo scored a second in injury time after a corner came off the back of Litos, it was too late to save the result. Málaga are down in the drop zone after only one win from eleven, and Alavés are riding high after picking up ten points from their last five games.