Recreativo 2 - Málaga 3

Recreativo: César; Espinola, Iker Begoña, Alex, Sergio; Cubillo (Viqueira 15'), Oscar Arpón (Bermejo75 '); José Marí, Benítez, Quique Romero (Gallego67 '); Raúl Molina. 4-2-3-1.
Málaga: Contreras; Josemi, Litos, Roteta, Valcarce; Gerardo, Sandro (Leko 75'), Miguel Angel (Juanito 87'), Musampa (Edgar 91'); Darío Silva, Dely Valdés. 4-4-2.

Goals:
1-0. 15. Raúl Molina. Took Begoña pass and shot on turn from edge of area.
2-0. 34. Viqueira. Lobbed long shot over keeper as ball came out of defence.
2-1. 41. Musampa. Beat two defenders and hit long shot wide of keeper.
2-2. 48. Musampa. Low shot after long throw in headed on by defender.
2-3. 60. Musampa. Took square pass from Sandro and shot from edge of area.

A festival atmosphere at Huelva, where the league's oldest club Recreativo returned to the first division for only the second season in their history. The hard-up club had only spent 60,000 Euros in the summer on 16 new signings, most of whom were from the lower divisions, but they gave their fans a best possible start, taking a two goal lead over Málaga with just over a half an hour on the clock. Raúl Molina started things off with a striker's goal, and Viqueira added a second only minutes after coming on as substitute for the injured Cubillo.

However Málaga were on song after winning one of the finals of the Intertoto competition and qualifying for the UEFA cup, and they took advantage of Recre's inexperience to get back in the game and level the scores with a goal either side of half time from Kiki Musampa, the first a really great solo effort. Then with an hour on the clock Musampa completed his hat-trick to move top of the first goalscorers' chart of the season and give his side the three points. Both sides hit the woodwork later on, but by then Málaga were in control and Recreativo had learnt their first lesson. Not a good start for the odds-on favourite for relegation this season.