Málaga 1 - Villarreal 1

Málaga: Contreras; Rojas, Litos, Roteta, Valcarce; Gerardo, Romero (Manu 47'), Sandro (Miguel Angel 63'), Musampa; Darío Silva, Dely Valdés (Koke 63'). 4-4-2.
Villarreal: Reina; Belletti, Unai (Berruet 09'), Ballesteros, Arruabarrena; Guayre (Javi Venta 51'), Marcos Senna, Josico, Jorge López; Víctor, Palermo. 4-4-2.

Team changes: Málaga: Rojas, Litos, Darío Silva for Josemi, Fernando Sanz, Edgar / Villarreal: Unai for Berruet.

Goals:
0-1. 59. Palermo. Long looping header over Contreras from Javi Venta cross.
1-1. 75. Darío Silva. Dived forward to head Gerardo cross down into net.

Villarreal took revenge, in part at least, for their defeat in their Intertoto cup final by drawing 1-1 at Málaga. It was a bad-tempered match, with injuries to Unai, Guayre and Romero and one sending off, the visitors' Rojas in the second half. The East coast side were given the chance to take the lead on the half hour mark when Roteta gave away a penalty on Berruet, but Contreras guessed correctly and saved Víctor's kick. Later in the half Musampa got the ball in the net for the home side only to see the goal ruled out for offside.

Floro brought on Javi Venta at the break, and a few minutes later his long cross was headed brilliantly by "Loco" Palermo over the keeper for the opening goal. Things looked grim for Málaga when Rojas was sent off for a second bookable offence with twenty minutes to go. However Peiró's side equalised soon afterwards when the other "Loco", Darío Silva, just back in the side after a rib injury, got on the end of Gerardo's cross to head down past Reina. The point keeps Málaga in ninth spot, and takes Villarreal two places behind then in eleventh.