La Liga preview: Eibar v Malaga

Eibar and visitors Malaga go into their clash on Tuesday looking to bounce back from frustrating results and in dire need of wins.

Malaga travel to the Estadio Ipurua after being held to a 1-1 draw at home to Real Sociedad on Saturday.

The Andalusian outfit, trying to climb the standings and claim a Europa League qualifying spot, gave away a late equaliser and had to settle for a point.

Eibar played well but lost 2-1 at home to Rayo Vallecano on Saturday to drop to 15th place, just three points clear of the drop zone.Malaga have won just one of their last four league games.

"I'm disappointed with Saturday's result but not with the performance of my players," Malaga coach Javi Gracia told Spanish sports newspaper Marca.

"We played a good game and showed determination but when you don't extend your advantage, it can happen that the other team equalises.

"In any case, I see the glass half full."

As for Eibar, the Basque side promoted to the Spanish top flight for the first time in their history last season, they have collected two points in their last 11 league games having last won on January 10.

"We must look ahead," Eibar coach Gaizka Garitano said.

"My team gave everything against Rayo but we gave away two goals in the space of three minutes just when we were playing at our best and that proved a psychological blow.

"The only thing we can do is to continue to work and look to the future with optimism."

A lack of goals has been Eibar's biggest problem, with Los Armeros having found the back of the net just three times in their last 10 league games.

If Malaga are disappointed to have let two points slip away, they are in a much better position than Eibar.

Gracia's team is seventh in the standings and five points adrift of Villarreal, who are sixth and hold the last European qualifying spot.