Malaga and Deportivo split the points at La Rosaleda after Aubameyang goal and Chupe penalty

A penalty in the 32nd minute kept Malaga from heading into halftime trailing on their own turf. Deportivo de La Coruna had gone ahead at La Rosaleda thanks to an early goal from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, but Chupe leveled things from the spot and the scoreboard did not move again: a final 1-1 in a matchday two fixture of LaLiga.

The script was written fast. Barely past the opening quarter hour, Deportivo found the reward for its persistence down the flanks: in the 20th minute, Aubameyang finished with his right foot from close range, low and inside the left post, after a through ball from Luismi Cruz. Malaga, who had given a warning earlier with a shot from Juan Cruz that went just wide, answered with more corners than real danger until the play that changed the match arrived: in the 32nd minute, Lucas Noubi committed a penalty on Rafita inside the area. Chupe made no mistake from the spot a minute later, curling a shot into the top left corner to make it 1-1 at the break.

Chances go unrewarded in the second half

The second half had more attempts than goals. Chupe rattled the crossbar with a header in the 75th minute, and Carlos Dotor, Rafa Rodriguez and Haitam Abaida all tried their luck without finding the target. On the Galician side, Aubameyang again prowled the opposing box and Luismi Cruz, even Mario Soriano, had their own attempts, but neither Leo Roman nor the opposing goalkeeper had to work overtime on too many clear chances. The match moved through substitutions (eight between both teams) and a handful of yellow cards, with neither side finding the goal that would break the deadlock.

What the numbers say

Malaga were more dominant in possession and shot volume, but lacked the finishing touch to turn that edge into goals.

Our post-match xG model, based on shot location, produced figures of 1.575 for Malaga and 1.143 for Deportivo, numbers that confirm what was seen on the field: the home side generated more offensive volume, but the visitors were sharper with fewer chances.

The pre-match odds had been fairly evenly split: 41% for a Malaga win, 30% for a draw and 29% for a Deportivo win, with a total expected goals figure of 2.5. The final result, with one goal apiece, ended up matching the outcome that looked least likely on paper but wound up happening anyway: the draw.

What the result leaves behind

With this point, Deportivo de La Coruna moves to 2 points in the standings, the product of two draws in two matches played, with no wins or losses yet. Malaga, for their part, sit on 1 point after two matchdays, with a draw and a loss to their name. There is just a single point separating the two clubs in the table, a fair reflection of how tight things were this afternoon at La Rosaleda as well.