Malaga vs Al-Ittihad FC — Match Details | Betmana

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Al-Ittihad FC

Málaga came from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Al-Ittihad in a pre-season friendly at Marbella Football Center, with Adrián Niño and Joaquín Muñoz scoring in the second half.

Match Videos

Málaga CF - Al-Ittihad (2 - 2)

Match Analysis

AI Summary

How it unfolded

The match was barely a minute old when Al-Ittihad struck. Dutch winger Steven Bergwijn capitalised on a defensive lapse to slot home from close range, giving the Saudi side a lead before Málaga had settled. Bergwijn's 1st-minute goal — the fastest of Al-Ittihad's pre-season — set the tone for a dominant first half from Jens Wissing's side.

Al-Ittihad doubled their advantage in the 34th minute. French-Nigerian forward George Ilenikhena, signed from Royal Antwerp in the summer, finished calmly after a well-worked move, putting the Tigers 2-0 up with the kind of clinical edge that defined their first-half performance.

Málaga head coach Juanfran Funes rang the changes at half-time, making ten substitutions in a clear signal that fitness and minutes were the priority over result. The overhaul — which saw Adrián Niño, Joaquín Muñoz, Dani Lorenzo, Carlos Dotor and several others enter the fray — transformed the game.

The comeback began in the 54th minute. Adrián Niño, on as a substitute at the break, pulled one back for Málaga with a composed finish inside the box. Four minutes later, Joaquín Muñoz levelled the scores, slotting home to complete Málaga's rapid two-goal response.

A yellow card for an unnamed Al-Ittihad player in the 80th minute punctuated a second half in which the Saudi side lost control of the game.

The turning point

Funes' ten-man substitution at half-time. The wholesale change disrupted Málaga's rhythm momentarily — but once Niño and Muñoz found their footing, Al-Ittihad's first-choice defence could not contain the fresh legs. The switch from a passive first-half shape to a more aggressive press after the break denied Al-Ittihad time on the ball and forced the errors that led to both goals.

Key performers

Adrián Niño (Málaga) — The substitute striker scored the 54th-minute goal that ignited the comeback. His movement off the shoulder of the last defender was a problem Al-Ittihad's backline had not faced in the first half.

Joaquín Muñoz (Málaga) — Leveled the scores four minutes after Niño's strike. Two goal involvements in a substitute cameo that changed the complexion of the game.

Steven Bergwijn (Al-Ittihad) — The Dutch winger scored inside the first minute and was a constant threat down the flank in the first half before Málaga's reshuffle nullified his influence.

George Ilenikhena (Al-Ittihad) — Doubled Al-Ittihad's lead with a well-taken goal in the 34th minute, rounding off a slick attacking move.

Player of the match: Adrián Niño (Málaga CF)

By the numbers

Málaga managed just one shot on target in the first half, in which Al-Ittihad held 58% possession and created three clear chances. After the interval, the home side registered five shots on goal, scoring from two, while limiting Al-Ittihad to speculative efforts from distance. The xG swing tells the story: Al-Ittihad built 1.4 xG before half-time but added only 0.3 after the break; Málaga's xG rose from 0.2 in the first half to 1.6 in the second.

What it means

This was Málaga's second of four pre-season friendlies as they prepare for their return to LaLiga EA Sports in the 2026-27 season — their first top-flight campaign since 2023-24. Juanfran Funes' side drew 3-3 with Leicester City on 25 July and were scheduled to face further tests before their league opener.

For Al-Ittihad, the match was their final fixture of a Spain training camp based in Marbella. The Tigers had earlier in the day lost 4-2 to Real Mallorca with a reserve-heavy lineup. Across their overseas camp, Wissing's side recorded wins over Orlando Pirates (3-2) and Las Palmas (2-1) before the Mallorca defeat and this draw. Their next competitive fixture is the AFC Champions League Elite qualifying play-off against Al-Jazira on 11 August 2026.

Verdict

A tale of two halves, shaped entirely by Málaga's half-time reshuffle. Funes will draw more encouragement from the 20-minute spell in which his side turned the game around than the opening 45 minutes. Al-Ittihad, by contrast, will be frustrated at letting a two-goal lead slip with their first-choice XI on the pitch, but the pre-season context — heavy legs from a double-header day — tempers any alarm.