Neither Eibar, nor Granada, nor Las Palmas, nor Alavés nor Levante. None of the top five classified fighting for direct promotion to the First Division has been the best team during the last 5 rounds of LaLigaSmartBank. None of them. You have to look much further down the table and use your memory, commitment and faith to find the leader of the last section of the Second Division: the 19th, the Malaga CF.
Sergio Pellicer already said it in a press conference, this team had to be in the playoffs to aspire to salvation and it is not that they are only achieving it, but that they are being the best of the last 5 days, which is said soon. It is true that this performance has come as a result of the obligation to overcome a distance greater than the three encounters with salvation, but it must not be forgotten that knowing how to manage pressure is essential. Las Palmas, for example, is 21st in this classification when it is 3rd in reality.
What has Málaga CF done to be the best in the last month of competition? After the hard blow caused by the defeat against Racing, it was time to wake up. Those of Martiricos took out a draw against Levante (0-0) -with highly questionable arbitration decisions-. Then came the victory against Leganés (2-0), a new disappointment against Andorra (1-0) and the two consecutive wins -512 days later- against the Villareal B (1-2) and Cartagena (1-0). Three wins, one draw and one loss.
How is it that with these numbers the blue and white team is ‘only’ five points away from permanence? That’s the bad news, that the rivals who had an eye on the descent have taken several steps forward in this section. Málaga CF is followed in the standings of the last five days by Real Oviedo (the only one that equals it with 10 points), Real Zaragoza (9), Sporting de Gijón (9) and Andorra (9). The big loser is Racing with only 4.
Far from it, the job is done. There are still 5 points that separate those of Pellicer from permanence. However, the line of work of this last month invites us to face the final stretch with more optimism. Ahead are Lugo, Huesca, Ponferradina, Mirandés, Alavés and Ibizamatches in which the soul will have to be left to hold on tooth and nail to LaLiga SmartBank 2023/2024.