Cazorla pleased with Malaga progress

Malaga midfielder Santi Cazorla is happy with his side’s progress in La Liga, and is looking to build more momentum against Villarreal.

The club spent heavily in the off-season after acquiring wealthy Qatar-based owners, and the result is beginning to pay dividends at Malaga, who have won two of their last three league matche.

A win over Villarreal on Monday at their Estadio La Rosaleda home would take them fifth in the table.

“It’s clear that it’s not been a great season for them (Villarreal). They are out of the Champions League and in La Liga they are now getting better in terms of results,” Cazorla said.

“But they are a big rival to us for a place in Europe and that is why it’s important to beat them and get a nine point advantage over them which will be very important for the future.”

Cazorla joined Malaga from Villarreal in the off-season for a 21-million-euro transfer fee, and the 26-year-old said the fixture against his old side would impact him personally.

“Yes for me, this is a very special game for all that I have lived through and for all that this club gave me both professionally and personally,” he said.

“I will always be grateful for everything that I learned in the time that I spent at Villarreal.”

Cazorla also heaped praise on Spanish Under-21 international Isco, who impressed with a goal last week in their win away at Racing Santander.

“He’s a player with the right characteristics that makes us link up our play a lot,” Cazorla said of the teenager.

“Especially in this position which I suppose you could say is a central midfield area but which gives a lot of freedom and the other day in the game against Santander we were able to find each other really well with the ball.”

“He is a spectacular footballer, still very young, a player who has a future still very much ahead of him. We all have to leave him be, keep giving him the confidence he is getting and hopefully he can get to the highest level.”