Málaga 3 - Almería 2

Málaga: Goitia; Jesús Gámez, Weligton, Helder Rosario, Calleja; Eliseu, Miguel Angel (Salva 46'), Lolo, Nacho (Duda 46'); Albert Luque (Pablo De Barros 73'), Baha. 4-4-2.
Almería: Diego Alvés; Bruno, Carlos García, Pellerano, Mané; Iriney, Soriano (José Ortíz 79'); Juanma Ortíz (Corona 64'), Kalu Uche, Crusat (Piatti 70'); Negredo. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Málaga: Eliseu, Miguel Angel for Apoño, Duda / Almería: No change.

Goals:
0-1. 25. Kalu Uche. Far post header wide of Goitia from Juanma Ortíz corner.
0-2. 44. Negredo. Guided header down past Goitia from Bruno Saltor's cross.
1-2. 48. Albert Luque. Chested down Gámez cross and drilled shot across keeper.
2-2. 64. Salva. Picked up Gámez cross and turned shot wide of Diego Alves.
3-2. 75. Salva. Ran on to long ball and beat keeper with angled shot.

Yellow cards: Juanma Ortíz 20', Gámez 26', Pellerano 39', Eliseu 49', Weligton 52', Mané 54', Duda 57', Crusat 57' / red cards: Mané 85'.

Málaga stay level on points with sixth placed Atlético after coming from behind to beat Almería 3-2. Hugo Sánchez's side went two up at the break, Kalu Uche heading Juanma's corner wide of Goitia midway through the half and Negredo diving forward to head Bruno's cross in to the net on the stroke of half time.

Tapia made two changes at the break, bringing on Duda and also Salva, who had been out for a couple of months with an injury. Almost immediately it had an effect, Albert Luque drilling an angled shot past Diego Alves, and Baha missed a sitter a few minutes later.

Twenty minute in to the second half Salva collected a cross from Gámez and whipped a shot past the keeper to equalise, and a few minutes later the veteran striker got his second of the night after cutting in from the right to beat Alves. Soon afterwards the visitors were left with ten men after Mané was sent off for a foul on Eilseu, but even so they could have saved a point when Corona hit the bar in the last minute.