A first-half double from David Salazar proved decisive as O’Higgins marched into the final of the Dale Farm Globe final courtesy of a 3-0 victory against Malaga.
In a quiet opening to the match, the first chance landed to O’Higgins wide man Matias Meneses but he failed to convert a volley from close range. On 20 minutes, O’Higgins nearly made the breakthrough as a dangerous delivery from Lucas Celis brought an excellent save from Javier Palomo.
The Spanish side tried to get a foothold into the game and carved out their best chance of the half on 21 minutes. The ball landed to Jose Manzano but he failed to keep his effort on target.
The deliveries from Celis were causing havoc in the Malaga penalty area and he nearly made an impact as his free-kick went narrowly over the bar.
However, O’Higgins scored on 26 minutes following neat play between Ignacio Nunez and Jhon Jorquera and they provided the ammunition for Salazar to score from close range. Only two minutes later, the Chilean outfit doubled their lead as a deadly mistake by Guillermo Mateo led to the defender fouling Salazar in the box. The lively Salazar stepped up and scored from the spot sending the goalkeeper the wrong way.
O’Higgins started the second half the brighter with Hugo Herrera being denied and Diego Gonzalez heading over from a corner. However, the result was put beyond doubt halfway through the second period as the ball landed to Herrera at the edge of the box. The midfielder hit a first time effort into the bottom corner which left the Malaga keeper rooted to the spot.
Malaga couldn’t get a chance in the second half as the O’Higgins rearguard held firm. The scoreline could have been more as Francisco Liberona had a shot deflected wide and Nunez failed to hit the target.
Overall, it was a good win for O’Higgins and they face Newcastle United in the final tomorrow. On the other hand, Malaga will need to pick themselves up as they face the Strikers in the 3rd/4th spot play-off.