Malaga to host Fulham in pre-season friendly at La Rosaleda on August 12

Malaga CF will host Premier League side Fulham FC in a pre-season friendly at the Estadio La Rosaleda on August 12, the clubs confirmed in previews ahead of the fixture. Malaga arrive after a 1-2 defeat to Segunda Division club AD Ceuta FC, while Fulham were beaten 1-2 by Crystal Palace in their most recent outing.

Newly promoted to LaLiga, Malaga are preparing for the top flight under Juan Francisco Funes and have registered a “decent run of form” during pre-season, according to the preview. The match will be played at Malaga’s home ground, giving Los Boquerones the home advantage as they face a “top-tier English club.” Fulham travel under manager Alvaro Arbeloa and will seek a response after their loss to Crystal Palace.

Malaga’s attacking threat will center on Eneko Jauregi, who scored a brace in a recent pre-season game against Al Arabi; the preview described the 30-year-old centre-forward as a constant threat to opponents’ defences. The side’s preparation was dented by the 1-2 reverse to AD Ceuta, and defender Diego Murillo remains sidelined with a long-term injury and will not be available for the friendly.

Fulham’s recent performance against Crystal Palace featured an early assist from Oscar Bobb, who was singled out as one of the club’s top performers despite not scoring. The preview noted Tom Cairney will not be in action for Fulham because of an injury. The Cottagers will be the away side for this fixture but, the preview added, possess “decent squad quality” and the potential to present a stern challenge.

Lineups listed in the preview read as follows: Lopez (GK); Fernandez, Galilea, Calero, Salinas; Abaida, Merino, Lorenzo, Dotor, Lobete; Jauregi

Leno (GK); Tete, Bassey, Cuenca, Robinson; Reed, Iwobi; Bobb, King, Palacios; Garcia

The preview assessed Fulham as having a slight edge based on squad quality and predicted that Fulham are likely to secure a victory in the pre-season game. The match is scheduled to take place at the Estadio La Rosaleda on August 12.