Espanyol 1 - Málaga 0

Espanyol: Kameni; Ibarra, Lopo, Pochettino, David García; Alex Fernández, Ito; Maxi (Corominas 84'), De la Peña (Fredson 74'), Oscar Serrano (Amavisca 90'); Tamudo. 4-2-3-1.
Málaga: Calatayud; Gerardo, Juanito, Fernando Sanz, Valcarce; Edgar (Duda 67'), Miguel Angel (Geijo 84'), Romero, Luque (Manu 74'); Amoroso, Wanchope. 4-4-2.

Team changes: Espanyol: Alex Fernández for Dani / Málaga: Romero, Luque for Leko, Duda.

Goals:
1-0. 51. De la Peña. Placed ball past keeper after Maxi headed on Tamudo cross.

Espanyol, moved back up to third place in the league, heading a group of five teams on ten points, after a 1-0 win over Málaga. It was a good result for the Catalans, who had always struggled in this fixture in the past, losing five of their last eight meetings in Barcelona. Lotina's side dominated the match from start to finish, but were unable to score in a first half in which Calatayud made an excellent early save from Lopo's header and then had to watch as an Alex Fernández free kick bounced down off the crossbar just outside of the goal line.

Tamudo and De la Peña exchanged roles for the former to set up the latter to score six minutes in to the second half, "Lo Pelat" having the easiest of tasks of find the net after Maxi headed on the striker's cross. Soon afterwards Tamudo had a long shot saved by the keeper and Maxi put another good chance wide as the home team pushed for another goal. The visitors thought themselves unlucky not to have a penalty in the dying minutes though when referee Esquinas Torres ruled that a foul by Lopo on Duda was just outside of the area, and Pochettino had to clear Amoroso's shot for a corner just seconds later.