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Malaga ended their 2024–25 campaign with a subdued 2–2 home draw against Burgos on Saturday evening, a match defined by lacklustre play and brief flashes of excitement that arrived far too late.
Having already secured their Segunda División status weeks earlier, Malaga had little to play for beyond pride. Coach Sergio Pellicer made several changes, including handing Carlos López his first league start in goal ahead of Alfonso Herrero.
The team also shifted back to a traditional four-man defence, with changes that reflected the low stakes of the final fixture.
Despite a lively pre-match tifo in the Fondo Sur celebrating the bond between fathers and sons, the atmosphere at La Rosaleda was muted from the outset, thanks in no small part to the summer heat and sparse crowd.
The mood didn't improve in the ninth minute when the visitors struck first through Edu Espiau, who skipped past two Malaga defenders into acres of space before finishing calmly past López.
Beyond two speculative efforts from Kevin, the first half offered few highlights for the hosts. Burgos, however, nearly doubled their lead before the break, with Espiau again left alone but firing wide.
In the second half, Pellicer turned to his bench, introducing Antoñito at the break and later bringing off Dioni and Manu Molina - both of whom received warm ovations amid speculation over their futures.
However, 20 minutes after the restart, Fernando Niño made it 2–0 to Burgos from close range after a low ball across the face of goal from the left.
Then came the late revival. Rafa, a forward from the academy, pulled one back after the ball was cut back to him on the edge of the box and he fired into the side netting with his second touch.
Just two minutes later, fellow substitute Julen Lobete levelled the match with a poacher's finish at the back post following a deflected shot.
A flurry of late chances almost saw Malaga snatch victory, but the final whistle confirmed a draw and a 16th-place finish on 53 points.
With the season over, Malaga face a summer of rebuilding, with decisions looming on player contracts and a clear need for reinforcements.
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