Aubameyang goal not enough as LaLiga newcomers Malaga & Deportivo share the spoils

[p]In a first top-flight meeting between the two sides since April 2018, it was [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/malaga/25tIqYiJ/"]Malaga[/a] who started on the front foot, with Juan Cruz seeing a speculative effort from range parried behind by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/roman-leonardo/pIgzAKRr/"]Leo Roman[/a].[/p][p][b]The visitors grew into the contest after a disjointed opening quarter-hour, and a breakthrough soon followed, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/aubameyang-pierre-emerick/Wl4EyKZk/"]Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang[/a] latched onto a clever pass from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cruz-luismi/zXy8vKe2/"]Luismi Cruz[/a] before rounding [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/herrero-alfonso/46MITnQj/"]Alfonso Herrero[/a] to net for the second successive match.[/b][/p][embed guid="c9e0ae52-8e17-4f57-a2db-0e8215183285" url="https://x.com/LaLiga/status/2091980910698672384" social-type="twitter" /][p]Unbeaten in the last six H2Hs (W3, D3), Malaga searched for an immediate response, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/chupe/xGvzc36S/"]Chupe[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/munoz-joaquin/fmp1pdv1/"]Joaquin Munoz[/a] seeing a pair of dangerous strikes blocked.[/p][p][b]Los Albicelestes’ pressure paid dividends in the 34th minute when Rafita was brought down by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/noubi-lucas/MFC2jv9e/"]Lucas Noubi[/a] in the box, allowing Chupe to step up and confidently dispatch the penalty beyond Roman. [/b][/p][p]Despite that setback, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/dep-a-coruna/Q51ZzMS6/"]Deportivo[/a] nearly restored their lead on the stroke of half-time, only for Aubameyang to fire narrowly wide when well-placed in the area.[/p][p]Similar to the first half, Malaga saw plenty of the ball in the early stages of the second period, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/merino-izan/vPYNTnQ5/"]Izan Merino[/a] threatened with a powerful effort from the edge of the box.[/p][p]Clear-cut openings were in short supply, though, with Aubameyang’s angled strike kept out smartly by Herrero.[/p][image alt="Match momentum" id="5d239834-a96e-4fa5-b683-909ff39ff2bf" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="6adb6956-1e39-4e91-8360-33d2d5ae9fda" original-width="3840" original-height="2160" /][p]After creating little of note in the final third, a golden chance fell the way of the hosts in the 76th minute, but Chupe fluffed his lines, heading against the bar from 12 yards with the goal at his mercy.[/p][p]Malaga went close again through substitute [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/abaida-haitam/YsYtFhZ9/"]Haitam Abaida[/a]’s free-kick, while Chupe blazed wastefully over from range.[/p][p]Despite further pressure from the hosts in the closing stages, the Deportivo rearguard held firm under pressure, as Antonio Hidalgo’s men extended their unbeaten run in Monday-held La Liga away games to six (W3, D3).[/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/aubameyang-pierre-emerick/Wl4EyKZk/"]Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/dep-a-coruna/Q51ZzMS6/"]Deportivo A Coruna[/a])[/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/dep-a-coruna-Q51ZzMS6/malaga-25tIqYiJ/?mid=2V09g36N"]Click here for more on the match[/a][/b][/p]