Mañas levelled at 89 after Alaves had made the better chances

Alaves ended 1-1 with Malaga after Mañas equalised late, though the home side had created far more of the chances.

Alaves had more of the ball and more of the chances at Mendizorroza, but Malaga held the lead for 45 minutes. Adrian Nino put the visitors in front just before half-time, with Ramón Enríquez supplying the final pass, and the goal stood after a VAR check. It was only Aitor Mañas's strike in the 89th minute that rescued a point for the home side.

Alaves had 63% of the ball, well above their usual home share of 42.1%, and they used it to create the better openings. Expected goals, or xG, is a rough measure of how likely each shot was to go in, judged by where it was taken from. On that measure Alaves reached 1.82, above their home average of 1.32, while Malaga managed 0.63, below their away average of 0.9.

Alaves took 16 shots, where they usually take 12.3 at home, and ten of those came from inside the penalty area. The problem was accuracy. Only three of those sixteen tested the goalkeeper, and that is the gap the scoreline hides. Chances from close range are worth more, but they still have to be hit on target.

Malaga had far less of the play, with 37% of the ball against a usual 51% on their travels, and they managed only six shots, well short of their away average of 11.1. Their back line conceded more expected goals than their away average of 1.35, yet still let in only one. The visitors were then defending harder than usual and still ended with a point they had not expected to take away.

Mañas's goal was his only shot of the afternoon, and it was on target and went in. Angel Pérez and Carles Aleñá each made three chances for team-mates, which shows the home side was threatening from open play rather than only from set pieces. On the Malaga side, Carlos Puga won 12 duels in the time he was on the pitch, the sort of work that rarely makes headlines.

This was a lower-scoring match than most in the league, with two goals against a league average of 3.1 a match. Alaves came away with a share of the points they had earned on the chances, and Malaga kept a clean enough shape to leave with their own. Neither side's goal was the product of a long spell of pressure; both came from moments when a single action decided the scoreline.

Alaves remain seventh in the table with 11 points from nine matches, while Malaga stay 20th on four points.

Player of the matchAitor Mañas1 goal8.2

Adrián Niño Heredia1 goal8.1

Ramón Enríquez1 assist7.5

Einar Galilea7 duels won7.4