Malaga vs Espanyol preview - Samuel: Safety still some way off

Posted Tuesday, March 25, 2014 by PA

Malaga midfielder Samuel Garcia insists his team still have a long way to go before they can assume they are safe from relegation.

The Andalusians beat Celta Vigo 2-0 on Friday to move five points clear of the relegation zone, but Samuel has warned the team against resting on their laurels, and stressed that it is vital they follow the win up by beating Espanyol at home on Tuesday.

"It was important to leave Vigo with the three points, but we still haven't done anything," he told reporters.

The victory in Vigo was Malaga's second consecutive away win, but Bernd Schuster's side have been less convincing at home, failing to win any of their last three games at La Rosaleda, something Samuel feels the team needs to change.

"We have to keep up a run so we can get out of the bottom as soon as possible," he said.

"Every game is different and we are getting good results away from home, but now we have to be strong at home, with the fans behind us, and get the three points against Espanyol."

Although the job is not yet done, Samuel could not hide his satisfaction with the team's recent performances.

"We are feeling good because we are putting wins together while playing well, and that's what we need to keep doing," he said.

However, Malaga will have to make do against Espanyol with a depleted team as they have four players set to miss the game due to suspension.

Ignacio Camacho, who scored both of the goals against Celta, picked up a fifth yellow card in Vigo, as did defender Sergio Sanchez, while Duda was sent off in the game and will also play no part, and full-back Jesus Gamez still has one game left to serve of a three-match ban.

The Andalusians entertain an Espanyol team on the brink of guaranteeing top-flight survival for another season, just one win away from moving onto 40 points for the season.

The Catalan derby at home to Barcelona is just four days after the trip to Malaga, but coach Javier Aguirre insisted his team only had one match on their mind.

"We aren't thinking at all about the derby or deciding the league title, we are only concerned with beating Malaga so we can achieve our objectives," Aguirre told reporters.

The Mexican also insisted it was nigh on impossible for his team to qualify for the Europa League, and pointed out it was unrealistic to expect a club with the same financial strains to compete for a European spot.

"Last year we spent 18 weeks in the relegation zone and you can't have a season like that and then get into the Europa or Champions League, that's not easy," he said.

"When a team is reducing players' salaries and signing footballers on free transfers, you cannot say the team has to qualify for Europe, that doesn't make sense. You have to think with your head, and not your heart."