Málaga CF goes into Saturday’s Betis Vs Málaga clash at La Cartuja with another worry at the back of the squad list. Ángel Recio missed the last training session because of a viral illness, and Juanfran Funes has already named him among the absences for the 18:30 kickoff in the 11th round of LaLiga EA Sports.
That uncertainty matters because Málaga are still chasing their first league win of the season. They are bottom of the table with five points after 10 matches, the product of five draws and five defeats, and they are four points away from the safety places. For a side in that position, every available player counts before the trip to face Real Betis.
The matchup also carries a sharp edge beyond the table. Manuel Pellegrini once managed Málaga CF for three seasons, and under him the club reached the Champions League quarterfinals in the 2012/13 season. Now he faces a team that arrives last, under pressure, and still without a victory in league play.
Málaga’s list of absentees is long enough to shape the afternoon before the ball is even kicked. Pablo Martínez, Joaquín Muñoz, Juan Cruz, Julen Lobete, Aarón Ochoa and Recio are all out, while Diego Murillo is still building up his workload as he recovers. Funes still has options, with a likely side that includes Herrero, Puga, Galilea, Calero, Rafita, Dotor, Ramón, Larrubia, Lorenzo, Aznou and Niño.
Real Betis are expected to lean on Valles, Bellerín, Bartra, Natan, García, Roca, Fornals, Riquelme, Isco, Abde and Parrott, and the home side also brings its own storyline. Isco is set to reach 400 matches in Primera División against his hometown club, which gives the meeting a layer of personal history as well as sporting urgency. Málaga will need more than sentiment, though. They are short of points, short of wins and short of margin for error, and Saturday’s visit to La Cartuja begins to tell whether that can change before the relegation fight tightens any further.
