Espanyol made the stronger start and took the lead in the 13th minute when Bryan Zaragoza produced an impressive individual finish. The visitors had opportunities to extend their advantage, but Málaga improved considerably after half-time and pushed for an equaliser.
Juanfran Funes was pleased with his team's response, believing Málaga had taken control after the interval.
“We have been able to go after the game in the second half. There has only been one team,” the Málaga coach said.
Funes acknowledged that his players needed to become more clinical in front of goal but insisted their performance offered encouragement. Adrián Niño finally rewarded their pressure in added time, rescuing a point that had appeared beyond reach.
“There are games that can change momentum. This will give us a very strong push,” Funes said, while also praising the support from the La Rosaleda crowd.
The coach highlighted the efforts of Fernando Calero and Adam Aznou, who both made their debuts for Málaga. He admitted that neither was ready to complete a full match but believed they had provided useful options.
“They were not prepared to play a complete match, but they gave us solutions. The effort from the lads was impressive,” he said.
Funes also left open the possibility of starting future games with two forwards, while insisting that the late penalty appeal involving Chupete had not decided the contest.
Espanyol manager Manolo González, meanwhile, felt his team had thrown away an important victory by failing to maintain their first-half level.
“For us, the key to the match was the first half, not the second,” he said. “If we had been more clinical in the first half, we would have finished the game off.”
González believed his side had created the opportunities to secure all three points but failed to manage their counter-attacks properly after the break.
“We lacked the composure in our counter-attacks that we had in the first half,” he said. “We wanted to avoid risks and not lose the ball, but that meant we ended up losing it more quickly.”
The Espanyol coach praised goalkeeper Ángel Fortuño, insisting he had made no mistakes and could do nothing about Niño's equaliser. He also described Zaragoza's contribution as a good performance, highlighting the winger's threat while he had the energy to attack defenders.
The result left both managers with mixed feelings: Málaga gained confidence from their late recovery, while Espanyol were left to reflect on a lead they could not protect.