Levante: Diego Mariño; Iván López, David Navarro, Iván Ramis, Toño; Xumetra (Rubén García 70‘), Camarasa, Simao, Morales; Kalu Uche (Víctor Casadesús 79‘), Barral (José Mari 88‘). 4-2-3-1.
Málaga: Kameni; Rosales, Sergio Sánchez, Weligton, Boka; Camacho, Recio (Ricardo Horta 65‘); Samuel, Juanmi, Samu Castillejo (Tissone 78‘); Javi Guerra (Amrabat 55‘). 4-2-3-1.
Goals:
0-1. 24. Juanmi. Won ball off Navarro and turned angled shot past Diego Mariño.
1-1. 26. Barral. Angled shot following short free kick which Kameni couldn’t stop.
2-1. 37. Barral (penalty). After Barral himself brought down by Boka in the area.
3-1. 62. Barral (penalty). After Sergio Sánchez pushed over Xumetra inside area.
4-1. 75. Kalu Uche. Poked shot past Kameni after Toño crossed in from left wing.
Yellow cards: Ramis 45’, Sergio Sánchez 61’, Camarasa 91’.
Seventh placed Málaga lost ground on the teams above them after they were beaten 4-1 by bottom club Levante, the result taking the locals right out of the drop zone pending the rest of the weekend games. Juanmi actually gave the Andalusians the lead in the first half, a bad control by David Navarro from Samuel’s cross allowing the forward to nip in and turn an angled shot past Diego Mariño. Just two minutes later though the locals won a hotly disputed free kick when Barral fell theatrically on the edge of the area, and the striker picked up a Morales pass and fired a shot inside Kameni’s near post to level the scores. Soon afterwards Kameni made a brilliant reaction save to push Kalu Uche’s header onto the bar, but shortly before half time Barral put the locals in front from the penalty spot after he fell under a challenge from Boka. With an hour on the clock the ex Real Madrid B striker completed his hat-trick with a second penalty after Sergio Sánchez brought down Xumetra in the area, and Uche rounded off the scoring a few minutes later, poking Toño’s cross past Kameni to give his new side their first win in nine games.