In the 40th round of the 2nd Spanish league, the match between home team Málaga and away team Sporting Gijón will take place at La Rosaleda stadium. It is expected to be an even contest between two teams that have had fluctuating form in recent matches and are facing several challenges in both defence and attack.

Málaga enter the match after a narrow 0-1 loss against Eldense. In the last six games, Málaga have not been very good offensively - they have only managed to score four times, conceding five goals. So defensively they are not too bad, but offensively they are limited. Coach Sergio Pellicer has an almost complete squad, missing only the injured Haitam Abaida.

Sporting Gijón won 2-1 against Deportivo La Coruña in the previous round. Despite this, Gijón has been struggling defensively for a long time, conceding 11 goals in their last six games and not keeping a clean sheet once. Gijón will have to do without several players: J. Caicedo, Jonathan Dubasin and Jesús Bernal are out with injuries.

In the last six games between the two teams, a total of 14 goals have been scored (average 2.33 goals per game). The last meeting ended with Málaga winning 3-1 at Gijón.

Although Málaga does not have a strong offensive force, it is traditionally a troublesome opponent at home. Gijón, on the other hand, can score, but its defensive position is unstable. It is thus expected to be an even match in which Málaga could take advantage of home advantage and the opponent's defensive mistakes. My prediction is OVER 2.5 goals at odds around 2.20. GL!