málaga vs las palmas reaches its second leg at a sold-out La Rosaleda with Málaga carrying a 0-1 aggregate lead, and Juanfran Funes is treating it as only the start of the job. David Larrubia’s goal in Las Palmas gave Málaga the edge, and that margin can carry them into the final for promotion to Primera.
La Rosaleda Holds The Lead
Málaga won the first leg 0-1 and returns home with the advantage, but the tie is still live. If Las Palmas levels the aggregate score, the match goes to extra time, and if nothing changes there, Málaga advances because it finished higher in the regular league table.
That edge was built by Larrubia, whose strike in Las Palmas separated the sides before the return fixture. Málaga finished fourth in the regular season and Las Palmas finished fifth, a gap that now sits behind the aggregate score as the main safety net for the home side.
The sellout was in place before the first leg was even played, and the crowd at La Rosaleda could push past 29,795 spectators, the best Segunda attendance of the season. The stands have become part of the equation here because the match has drawn demand that reaches beyond the stadium itself.
Funes Keeps Málaga Sharp
Funes is not talking like a coach protecting a lead. He called it “Es el segundo asalto. Solo hemos dado un gancho de derecha” and added, “Esto les hace ser más peligrosos aún”.
He also used Edison’s repeated failures before the light bulb finally worked to describe Málaga’s mindset: “Edison encendió la bombilla a los mil intentos. A la primera y segunda falló. Eso nos ha dado confianza, seguridad y ha reforzado todos los valores de este grupo”.
That framing fits a tie with one goal between the sides and no margin for a slow start. Málaga already knows Las Palmas has come up empty in three meetings this season, losing all three without scoring, but Funes is not leaning on that record as a guarantee.
Las Palmas Reworks Its Shape
Juanfran Funes will have one forced change in central defense, with Javi Montero set to replace the injured Einar Galilea. That is the clearest lineup shift on Málaga’s side, and it comes in a match where one slip can flip the tie.
On the other bench, Luis García has five injured players to work around: Viti, Ale García, Loiodice, Recoba and Sandro. He said, “Todo eso me agita todavía más para buscar soluciones y ayudar a mis futbolistas a tratar de ganar un partido que olvidaría lo anterior”, a line that captures how much the three defeats against Málaga have weighed on this matchup.
The city has also moved beyond the stadium. The Málaga City Council granted extraordinary authorization for hospitality venues to install televisions, projectors and large screens on terraces for the playoff matches after a request from the Málaga Hospitality Association, while LaLiga had already blocked giant screens in public squares because of broadcasting rights. For supporters, the path is simple: La Rosaleda is full, the lead is narrow, and the next hour-plus can decide who gets the shot at Primera.
