The first defeat of the official season has arrived, this time at home. UD Las Palmas conceded the three points to Málaga (0-1), who capitalized on the solitary goal scored in the first half by Rafa Rodríguez. Before and after the goal, the yellows worked hard to please the 22,039 fans who attended the Estadio de Gran Canaria this Sunday, but they couldn't find the net due to the post, inaccuracies, and the performance of the visiting goalkeeper Herrero.
Coach García Fernández chose to face Málaga with only one change in the starting eleven, replacing Cedeño with captain Loiodice. With the same lineup that secured victory in Córdoba, the yellows approached a match against a rival that had demonstrated high possession in the first two rounds. Additionally, Málaga tackled the game with a clear intent to create problems for the local team's ball distribution. Their incisive pressing was the first challenge the Gran Canaria team had to face.
However, after a few minutes of mutual study, Las Palmas was the first to create scoring opportunities with two chances in three minutes. Ale García struck an acrobatic volley in the 12th minute, hitting the crossbar. Then, in the 15th minute, Marvin Park unleashed a powerful shot inside the box, forcing Herrero to deflect it to a corner with one hand.
The match was halted for six minutes due to a referee debate, which did not conclude in favor of what initially seemed evident. Visiting defender Víctor García had touched the ball with his hand inside the box, but after a thorough review of the play, the referees ruled a prior offside by Milos Lukovic, invalidating everything that followed.
That incident seemed to slow the pace of the game until halftime, leaving the impression that Las Palmas had failed to capitalize on moments when they could have opened the scoring, despite showing more offensive threat than their opponent.
However, just before halftime, Málaga's first shot ended up in Horkas' net. The 0-1 score originated from a midfield turnover, exploited by Rafa Rodríguez with a precise long-range shot that nestled next to the post.
Las Palmas entered the second half trailing for the first time this season. They worked hard to find an equalizer through possession and combinations. Recoba, Manu Fuster, and Loiodice all attempted shots without success, with some going wide and others being saved by goalkeeper Herrero.
The first substitution for the yellows in the afternoon was the introduction of Jonathan Viera, who was cheered by the fans, in a clear attempt to refresh the attacking strategy against a Málaga side that posed a threat on counterattacks.
The last 20 minutes were practically a siege on the Andalusian area, but all the islanders' attempts ended without the desired success.