Do not count Malaga out just yet. They have a first leg deficit to overturn but the two goals they scored at the Santiago Bernabeu last week may mean a lot.
Malaga aren’t doing badly at La Rosaleda this season. That’s where they staged a late comeback to draw 2-2 against Getafe en route to the Spanish Copa del Rey’s Round of 16.
But trace back Malaga’s home run in all competitions, and you’ll find an interesting fact. Manuel Pellegrini’s men haven’t lost any of their last five matches at La Rosaleda. Their most recent defeat at this venue dates from October 22; and it occurred in the hands of Jose Mourinho’s flying Blancos.
It was a thumping 4-0 defeat, which ended Malaga’s perfect home run. Prior to that, Los Boquerones enjoyed league wins against visitors Granada, Athletic Bilbao and Getafe.
However, hat-trick hero Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuain stole the show in front of almost 29,000 spectators at La Rosaleda on October 22.
This emphatic defeat has surely left fear and bitterness within Malaga’s team. Revenge is now on the players’ mind, but can they cope with in-form Real Madrid?
The good news for the Merengues is that Karim Benzema has been deemed match fit to feature against Malaga on Tuesday. The French striker was inspirational for Real Madrid against Granada last weekend.
His brace fired the La Liga leaders to a 5-1 victory. It also showed the effectiveness of Mourinho’s Benzema-Higuain striking machine.
The Spanish giants will most likely opt for an attacking game. It might be safe to bet on Cristiano Ronaldo to get on the scoring sheet in an eventual victory for Real Madrid over Malaga.
But trace back Malaga’s home run in all competitions, and you’ll find an interesting fact. Manuel Pellegrini’s men haven’t lost any of their last five matches at La Rosaleda. Their most recent defeat at this venue dates from October 22; and it occurred in the hands of Jose Mourinho’s flying Blancos.
It was a thumping 4-0 defeat, which ended Malaga’s perfect home run. Prior to that, Los Boquerones enjoyed league wins against visitors Granada, Athletic Bilbao and Getafe.
However, hat-trick hero Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuain stole the show in front of almost 29,000 spectators at La Rosaleda on October 22.
This emphatic defeat has surely left fear and bitterness within Malaga’s team. Revenge is now on the players’ mind, but can they cope with in-form Real Madrid?
The good news for the Merengues is that Karim Benzema has been deemed match fit to feature against Malaga on Tuesday. The French striker was inspirational for Real Madrid against Granada last weekend.
His brace fired the La Liga leaders to a 5-1 victory. It also showed the effectiveness of Mourinho’s Benzema-Higuain striking machine.
The Spanish giants will most likely opt for an attacking game. It might be safe to bet on Cristiano Ronaldo to get on the scoring sheet in an eventual victory for Real Madrid over Malaga.
