Sevilla 0-0 Malaga - Sevilla draw a blank

Posted Sunday, February 06, 2011 by PA

Sevilla's below-par season continued as they were held to a goalless stalemate by bottom side Malaga at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.

Sevilla's stated aim this season is to reach the Champions League but today's result leaves them in seventh place, well off the pace in the battle to claim a top-four finish.

The point snapped Malaga's three-game losing streak but they remain bottom of the Primera Division, four points from safety.

Malaga suffered an early setback when goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo was forced off with an injury with just six minutes gone. Francesc Arnau came on as his replacement, but was under-worked for much of the opening period as Sevilla failed to kick on.

The visitors looked more than a match for Sevilla and might have gone ahead on 21 minutes when Julio Baptista took aim from inside the area but Andres Palop gathered with ease.

A minute later the hosts finally threatened the opposition goal but Fernando Navarro's long-range effort was wayward.

Brazilian defender Weligton flashed an effort wide from six yards after Sevilla failed to clear their lines from a corner on 26 minutes, while the hosts had a chance shortly before the break when Luis Fabiano headed straight at Arnau.

Sevilla did much of the pressing in the second period, but efforts from Alexis and Diego Perotti did not force Arnau into meaningful action.

And Malaga may have snatched all three points at the death when Eliseu's free-kick was met by the head of Sandro Silva but Palop reacted well to make the save.