Malaga 2-0 Sporting Gijon - Malaga on the up

Posted Tuesday, May 10, 2011 by PA

Malaga moved into the top half of the table and almost certainly secured Primera Division survival after winning their fifth game in a row - a 2-0 victory at home to Sporting Gijon.

Manuel Pellegrini's side were in big trouble not so long ago, but have been on great form of late - particularly since the return from injury of striker Julio Baptista.

The Brazilian set the Andalusians on their way with the opening goal after nine minutes and Eliseu Pereira made sure of victory with a second after the break.

Malaga came into this game with 42 points, one less than Sporting, but had won their previous four Primera Division matches.

Sporting have been on form as well lately, having recently beaten Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu and claimed a valuable point in the dying seconds against Deportivo La Coruna at the weekend.

The Asturians came flying out of the blocks in this game and Malaga keeper Willy Caballero was forced into a fine save after just a minute.

But Malaga began to enjoy the majority of the possession after that and Baptista opened the scoring with an impressive scissor-kick after nine minutes.

Caballero then saved well from Sebastian Eguren as Sporting sought a response, but Duda also came close for the locals.

And Eliseu clinched it halfway through the second period following some poor defending from the visitors as he found his way between three Sporting players to slide home a low shot inside the near post.