Features
THU 07.01.2016
These are good times in Malaga. After an unfortunate start, the storm has already past. That erratic image offered by the Malacitanos during the first months of the season has given way to the second best team of the competition since December just behind Villarreal CF.
-Before December: 10 points (2W-5D-7L), with 7 goals for and 13 against.
-From December: 13 points (4W-1D) with 6 goals for and 1 against.
- Vallecas: Tactical and emotional turning point
After a hard-worked draw at San Mamés and an improvable first half against Rayo, what happened in the second half of that match is closely related with the change of dynamic: With 1-0 down, Gracia made a double substitution that changed the scheme of the team, moving to play with two strikers together up front and only two defensive midfielders.
Although they had been few occasions, it was not the first time that Charles Dias and Duje Cop were playing together up front. But it was the first time that they scored in the same game. And the first time winning on the road, and coming from behind.
And was the great happiness that such victory generated in the locker room which has led the Pamplona manager to having chosen them together as starters since that game. His men believed they could well win that way, and were reinforced when, on the following matchday, managed to overthrow the current leader, Atlético de Madrid.
- A strong and definite backbone
If the couple Charles - Čop has settled into the attacking plot, the 4-4-2 includes two new pairs in the central scheme: Weligton-Albentosa at the back and Recio-Camacho in the midfield.
The trust on these six players, in addition to that he already had in Kameni, Rosales and Amrabat, has facilitated the weekend bets to see what the starting eleven Málaga CF would be. Since the victory in Vallecas, Javi Gracia has only made changes in his starting lineups, depending on the opponent, to the two men in charge of the left side, area in which has lost Juankar for a few weeks due to injury.
- These are players who have started a match with the team since then:
Weligton and Albentosa took the opportunity without the injured Angeleri and have put together the best defensive work of the whole course. Malaga CF takes 354 minutes without conceding, making three consecutive clean-sheets. It cannot be ignore the great work of Recio and Camacho in this regard, with both players providing strength and tactical intelligence in midfield.
This setup provides more solutions to Malaga for playing the ball from the back, taking the opportunity on occasions of seeking the attacking duo in order to regain ground just after a recovery and avoid losses in hazardous areas that had cost points.
Furthermore, the settling of players like Albentosa (1,93cm), Weligton (1.86), Camacho (1.82) and Cop (1.87) give centimeters to the team to deal with the air game and to make the fullest from set pieces.
We'll see if Javi Gracia keeps betting on this line or choose to modify it, but as the saying goes, what works...
© LALIGA - 2016