Dotor put Málaga ahead in the 28th minute, but Racing responded immediately after the interval. Luque levelled five minutes into the second half and Zabiri completed the turnaround on the hour, leaving the visitors with an away victory.
José Alberto welcomed the positive response, although he admitted his side had not managed the closing stages well enough.
“It has been a very hard-fought team victory. The first half was even, but in the second half we came out very well and turned the score around,” the Racing Santander coach said. “From their sending-off onwards, we did not manage the result well.”
The dismissal of Aznou came after Racing had moved in front, giving the visitors a numerical advantage. José Alberto felt his team had opportunities to make the game safe but failed to take control.
“I liked what I saw until we had the numerical superiority. We could have killed the game, but we did not have control over it,” he said.
The coach was particularly encouraged by the opening period after half-time, when Racing scored twice to take command.
“We played 20 or 25 very good minutes in the second half. If we cannot score the third, then we have to show more calm,” he added.
The result also carried significance for Racing’s position in the table, with the club moving out of the relegation places ahead of the international break. José Alberto acknowledged the importance of finally collecting an away win.
“Winning away from home in this division is difficult. I knew it was going to be a complicated match,” he said. “When you do not win away, it starts to weigh on you, but we have lifted that burden.”
Málaga coach Juanfran Funes was left frustrated by the collapse after the interval, believing the work of the first half had been undone by a poor spell.
“We competed badly. We competed very badly during those 20 minutes,” he said. “The way they came out in the second half and the change they made inside made it very difficult for us to adjust.”
He also pointed to the wider challenge facing his players.
“These are difficult moments. They are not finding the reward, and we are not managing to give our supporters the reward we want,” he said. “The last thing we can do is throw in the towel. We have to take responsibility and keep working.”