0-1: Málaga Claims Points at Gran Canaria Stadium Against Toothless Las Palmas
Málaga confirmed their strong start in LaLiga Hypermotion 2025-2026 with a hard-fought victory in Gran Canaria against UD Las Palmas, who suffered their first defeat of the season and have experienced all possible outcomes in the first three rounds of the championship.
Decisive Goal
A stunning strike from Rafa Rodríguez in the dying minutes of the first half, his second consecutive goal, proved crucial for the away team’s triumph. In the second half, Málaga defended with organisation and resilience against the home side’s dominance, although Las Palmas struggled to create clear opportunities.
First Half Highlights
The first half saw a beautiful overhead kick from Ale García hit the crossbar, marking the best chance for the yellow side in the 13th minute. Just three minutes later, Alfonso Herrero deflected a powerful shot from Marvin Park with his right arm, who was unmarked inside the box.
Controversy arose in the 23rd minute over a handball by visiting player Víctor García while contesting the ball with Milos Lukovic. After a lengthy review that delayed the game for over five minutes, the referee ruled out the handball due to an offside by the Serbian forward, cutting short a promising attack from Málaga at the behest of VAR.
Following a recovery from the Andalusian team in the opposition’s half, Rafa Rodríguez unleashed a precise shot from outside the area, leaving Horkas no chance on his right side in the 45th minute.
Second Half Developments
After the break, Las Palmas enjoyed territorial dominance, but lacked the clear-cut chances seen in the first half, with Alfonso Herrero having to deal only with long-range attempts.
Málaga had their own opportunities to seal the game, including a one-on-one that Joaquín fired wide against Horkas in the 62nd minute. The return of Jonathan Viera and the introduction of other veterans such as Marc Cardona, Pejiño, and former Málaga player Cristian Gutiérrez couldn’t turn the tide against a solid rival.
Match Details
(0) UD Las Palmas: Horkas; Marvin Park (Pejiño, 84′), Barcia, Mika Mármol, Enrique Clemente (Cristian Gutiérrez, 75′); Loiodice (Cedeño, 75′), Amatucci; Manu Fuster, Recoba (Jonathan Viera, 59′), Ale García; Lukovic (Marc Cardona, 84′).
(1) Málaga CF: Herrero; Puga, Murillo, Montero, Víctor García (Dani Sánchez, 46′); Larrubia, Juanpe (Einar Galilea, 85′), Izan, Joaquín (Lobete, 68′); Rafa Rodríguez (Dotor, 59′) and Chupe (Adrián Niño, 68′).
Goal: 0-1, 45′: Rafa Rodríguez.
Referee: Éder Mallo Fernández (Castilla-León Committee). He issued yellow cards to Lukovic and Enrique Clemente, as well as to visiting players Murillo, Víctor García, Montero, and Dotor.
Attendance: This third round match of LaLiga Hypermotion 2025-2026 took place at the Estadio de Gran Canaria in front of 22,039 spectators.
