Málaga played out a 2-2 draw with Fulham in a Club Friendlies fixture on 12 August 2026. The match ended level after both sides found the net twice. R. Sessegnon opened the scoring for Málaga in the 24th minute before Chupe restored parity four minutes later. A. Iwobi gave Fulham the lead in the 57th minute, only for the visitors to let the tie slip in stoppage time when a late goal came in the 90+1st minute.
What struck me watching was how little either side dominated. The statistics showed half possession apiece, though that figure tells you nothing about who controlled the tempo. Málaga registered 63 attacks against 54 for the visitors, while corners were split 4-1 in the hosts' favour. Neither team earned a card or an offside call, which suggests the game stayed loose.
By then I was thinking about how these friendlies never quite settle into a rhythm. Both sides have been mixing results in their recent run. Málaga lost 1-2 to Cádiz, beat Al-Arabi 4-2, drew with Al-Ittihad, then played out a 3-3 with Leicester. Fulham's form looks steadier—two wins against Crystal Palace and Farense, a draw with Al-Ahli Saudi Arabia, before losing to Norwich and beating Newcastle.
There's something about the way teams approach these matches that never quite feels like a test. The coaching staffs are still putting pieces together, and you can see the hesitation. Iwobi's goal came at a moment when the visitors looked like they might finally impose themselves, but the response from Málaga kept things level. And here's the thing—late goals in friendlies rarely mean the same as they would in a competitive fixture.
The result leaves both sides with a point from their latest outing. Málaga's attack produced more chances but they couldn't close the game out, while Fulham showed enough to take a lead before the final whistle. The goal difference stays even at two apiece, which is about all you can say about a match this balanced.