Tenerife 2 - 2 Málaga

Lopez rescues point for Malaga

Updated: November 7, 2009, 8:16 PM UK

Malaga fought back from two goals down to earn a vital point in a 2-2 draw away to Tenerife and ease the pressure on under-fire coach Juan Ramon Lopez Muniz.

The Andalusians had picked up just four points from their nine matches prior to this one and came into this game on the back of three straight league defeats.

And it looked as if three would become four as Tenerife raced into a two-goal lead early on.

Ramon Martinez put the Canary Islanders ahead after 18 minutes and Alejandro Alfaro doubled their lead shortly before the half hour-mark.

But Malaga responded almost straight away when Edinho netted after 29 minutes.

And the visitors snatched a vital point to move off the bottom of the table - for 24 hours at least - thanks to a Javi Lopez strike with 13 minutes remaining.

Malaga began the season with a 3-0 win at home to Atletico Madrid, but it has been almost all downhill since then.

The visitors, though, looked the better of the two sides early on and created the first real chance of note when Victor Obinna tested Tenerife keeper Sergio Aragoneses with a fierce drive following Duda's corner after 15 minutes.

But Tenerife soon took the lead against the run of play.

Omar raced down the left flank and teed up the advancing Roman, who swept a neat drive past Gustavo Munua.

And having scored Tenerife's first, Roman was also involved in their second.

The midfielder, on loan from Espanyol, robbed Duda and set up Nino, whose shot was saved, only for Alfaro to eventually fire home from point-blank range after some pin-ball around the Malaga area.

Malaga looked dead and buried, but to their credit they quickly got back into the game when Edinho slotted into the empty net after Aragoneses had can out on top in a one-on-one situation with Obinna.

Malaga then came desperately close to a leveller as Aragoneses pushed Edinho's glancing header onto the bar after 34 minutes.

At the other end, Weligton then almost diverted the ball into his own net shortly afterwards, but Munua did well to make the save.

Duda came close after an impressive solo run after the break, but the Portugal midfielder saw his shot blocked.

Tenerife had won all their previous nine points at home and continued to look dangerous as the game wore on.

Alfaro fired just over the bar with little more than 20 minutes left before Roman glanced a header wide of the target.

Malaga kept battling, though, and sealed a point when Javi Lopez fired through a cluster of bodies to level the scores following a goalmouth scramble with 13 minutes left.

The Andalusians held on despite some late pressure to move above regional rivals Xerez, who play on Sunday, on goal difference.