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Malaga had not won on their travels for eight games previously, but Ignacio Camacho put an end to that barren run with a header in just the sixth minute. Victory for the islanders, who were dumped out of the Copa del Rey during the week, elevates them into the ninth place ahead of the remainder of the weekend programme, and eases the pressure on manager Bernd Schuster. |
Elche were reduced to 10 men on the hour mark when defender Damian Suarez picked up a second booking for a studs-up challenge on Camacho. “I’m happy for the goal but happier for the three points that we really needed away from home,” Camacho said. “We have to see the positive side to what happened in the Copa. We’re out, but now we need to look to move up the league table.”
Martino calls on Barca not to get distracted
Barcelona boss Gerardo Martino has encouraged his side not to get distracted by off-field matters as they prepare for their final game of the year away to Getafe today.
It has been a busy week in the Catalan capital as the club were ordered by a judge to hand over the contracts which brought Neymar to the club, while it was announced that Barca were one of seven Spanish clubs the European Commission were looking into due to alleged illegal state aid. Lionel Messi then caused further controversy on Friday when he said the club’s vice-president Javier Faus “didn’t know anything about football.”
Martino waved off questions about Messi’s comments, but is hoping the controversy off the field will endeavour an even greater team spirit amongst his players. “Personally, what bothers me is how the team play. I am not used to distracting myself with these questions that don’t have anything to do with football,” he said. “I want to concentrate on what matters more to the team; who is playing better, which team wins and the players that are available for the next match. We need to come together and work to be stronger on the pitch as a group. If we can do that then what happens on the outside isn’t going to affect us.”
