Malaga’s missed ninth-minute penalty leaves Levante 3 points clear

Malaga and Levante drew 0-0 at Estadio La Rosaleda, leaving Malaga 19th with 1 point from 3 games and Levante 10th with 4. The result kept Levante 3 points ahead of Malaga, while both sides remain below Barcelona, who lead La Liga with 12 points.

How it happened

Malaga had the clearest early opportunity when Carlos Ruiz Rubio missed a penalty in the ninth minute. Neither side found a breakthrough after half-time: Malaga registered 10 total shots, including 3 on goal, while Levante had 11 attempts and also put 3 on target.

The numbers

Malaga controlled 63% possession and completed 507 accurate passes from 578 total, compared with Levante’s 37% and 264 accurate passes from 334. The home side had 7 shots inside the box to Levante’s 5, but both goalkeepers made 3 saves in a scoreless contest.

The game produced 10 corner kicks, with Malaga taking 6 and Levante 4. Malaga committed 15 fouls and collected 4 yellow cards, while Levante made 11 fouls and received 2 yellow cards; neither team was shown a red card.

Who decided it

Manu Sánchez was Levante’s highest-rated player at 7.5 after playing all 90 minutes. His 12 tackles and 1 key pass helped Levante preserve a point, while Malaga goalkeeper Alfonso Herrero also made 3 saves and earned a 7.3 rating.

Why it matters

Malaga remain 19th after 3 matches, with 0 wins, 1 draw and 2 losses, and have scored 1 goal while conceding 7. Levante move to 1 win, 1 draw and 1 loss, with a goal difference of 0; they are 8 points behind leaders Barcelona, compared with Malaga’s 11-point gap.