Cádiz and Málaga met in a Club Friendly on Thursday evening, with the hosts taking a 2-1 victory after a match decided by fine margins. The result keeps Cádiz's recent form moving forward — they had gone through three games without a win before this one.
Hernandez opened the scoring in the 35th minute, a well-taken effort that caught the Málaga defence flat-footed. The goal came after a period of sustained pressure, and it gave the home side the lead they needed to build on.
Málaga responded quickly. Abaida equalised just five minutes later in the 40th, and the momentum shifted toward the visitors. By then the game had opened up, and both sides were looking for a way through.
Zalazar restored Cádiz's advantage before half-time in the 45+1 minute, and that proved to be the decisive moment. He had been quiet for much of the first half, then suddenly made his presence felt — and here's the thing about these matches, the ones that matter are rarely the ones you expect.
The statistics tell a different story from the scoreline. Málaga had more attacks — 72 to 65 — and dominated possession at 53 per cent, yet they left without a win. They created chances but failed to convert them, and by then Cádiz had already done enough.
Four yellow cards in total, two for each side, and no reds to complicate matters. The game settled into a rhythm after the second goal, with neither team finding a second layer of attack.