Malaga rue missed penalty in Deportivo stalemate

UEFA Cup rivals Deportivo La Coruna and Malaga shared the points in a 1-1 draw on Saturday with Malaga left the more disappointed after missing an 88th minute penalty.

Deportivo goalkeeper Daniel Aranzubia dived to his right to save Apono’s late spot-kick.

Malaga, the surprise package of the season after being promoted, stay a point above Deportivo in sixth place and still have an outside shot at the Champions League with fourth-placed Valencia four points ahead.

Veteran striker Albert Luque, 31, put Malaga in front against his old club firing in a low free-kick on 32 minutes.

Luque made his name with Deportivo between 2002 and 2005 before a disastrous 14million euro move to Newcastle saw his career go downhill and he is currently on loan at Malaga from Ajax.

Malaga hit the post seconds before half-time and rued that miss when Sergio Gonzalez equalised five minutes after the interval.

Luque hit the crossbar late on and then won the late penalty but Apono fluffed the opportunity.

Elsewhere, time is running out for Numancia to save themselves from an immediate return to the second division with the Soria club losing 2-1 at Almeria to stay bottom, five points from safety.

Numancia sensationally beat Barcelona 1-0 on the opening day of the season but have found the tough going ever since.

Kalu Uche put Almeria ahead before Alvaro Negredo made the second goal with a great dummy to cross before setting up Fernando Soriano to score.

Negredo, 23, was discarded by Real but the champions have a buy-back clause and may use it this summer to reclaim the striker who has scored 19 goals this season – more than any of Real’s high-profile forwards.

Barcelona have the chance to go nine points clear of Real at the top with victory at Valencia later on Saturday.

Fourth-placed Valencia need a win to continue their Champions League push while Barcelona will want a confidence-booster ahead of upcoming matches against Chelsea in the Champions League and then ‘El Clasico’ at Real Madrid.

“I have always said the next game is the most important but maybe this one will be something more because it could give us a lift towards the title,” said Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola

Real travel to third-placed Sevilla on Sunday when all eyes will be on coach Juande Ramos as he returns to his old club – where he became a hero winning successive UEFA Cups in 2006 and 2007 – for the first time.

Ramos and Real are still reeling from a 10-match ban handed out to Portuguese defender Pepe on Friday for violent conduct in the 3-2 win over Getafe last week and the player will now sit out the remainder of the season.

“I think they (the disciplinary committee) may have exaggerated a bit, but I respect any decision,” said Ramos.

Pepe was punished for pushing Francisco Casquero to the ground to concede a late penalty and then brutally stamped on the midfielder several times.

He then palmed the angry Juan Albin in the face and insulted the referee before leaving the pitch.