Málaga and Levante played out a goalless draw at La Rosaleda on Sunday, with both sides missing opportunities to claim all three points.
The hosts enjoyed greater possession and territorial advantage for much of the encounter, but Levante’s defensive resilience and the performance of goalkeeper Mathew Ryan kept the visitors in the game.
The decisive moment came in the ninth minute when Málaga were awarded a penalty. Chupete stepped up to take the spot-kick, but Ryan produced an excellent save to deny the forward and preserve Levante’s clean sheet.
Málaga continued to dominate possession after the missed penalty and created several openings, finishing with 63 per cent of the ball.
They also registered 10 shots, three of which were on target, while Levante had 11 attempts with three on target.
The home side also enjoyed an advantage in expected goals, recording 1.46 compared with Levante’s 0.81, but their inability to convert their chances ultimately proved costly.
Ryan was not the only goalkeeper to impress, as Málaga captain Alfonso Herrero also made three important saves to keep his side from conceding.
Herrero was particularly effective when dealing with pressure late in the game, while his distribution helped Málaga maintain possession and build attacks from the back.
Levante compensated for their lack of possession with a strong defensive display.
They won 53 per cent of the duels and made 25 tackles, compared with Málaga’s 12.
Manuel Sánchez was particularly impressive for the visitors, producing a strong defensive performance with 12 tackles, eight of which he won.
Jon Ander Olasagasti and Adrián de la Fuente also contributed solid performances as Levante successfully frustrated Málaga’s attacking efforts.
Málaga’s Ángel Recio was one of the hosts’ standout performers, while Jose Salinas provided defensive stability on the flank.
Despite Málaga’s greater attacking pressure and possession, neither side could find the breakthrough before the final whistle.
The result leaves both teams with a point from a tightly contested LaLiga encounter in which the goalkeepers and defensive organisation ultimately took centre stage.
