Charles Dias de Oliveira's hat-trick earned 10-man Malaga a 3-1 victory over visitors Real Sociedad at the Rosaleda Stadium in La Liga this evening.
Malaga started the game at breakneck speed and they found the lead after just four minutes when Recio played in Charles, who opened up his body to volley past Geronimo Rulli in the Sociedad goal.
The hosts then went one better by doubling their advantage in the seventh minute, this time as Charles produced a decisive turn of pace to beat the visiting defence and lift his shot over a helpless Rulli.
David Moyes and his men did not give up hope, however, and they responded almost instantly in the 14th minute when Imanol Agirretxe converted adroitly from David Zurutuza's whipped delivery into the box.
The visitors might have grabbed a leveller just before the break, only for Agirretxe to see his floated effort crash back off the crossbar following his shot from inside the area.
Malaga thought the game had been put to bed after the break when Sociedad defender Alberto de la Bella almost turned the ball into his own net, although the post luckily played its part in keeping out the mistake for the away side.
Sociedad continued to push for an equaliser in the second period, and it was Agirretxe again who came close to finding a second for the visitors on two separate occasions.
The home fans were to be put through a nervous conclusion to the game when Fernando Tissone was sent off for a second bookable offence in the 72nd minute.
Real sought to push until the dying embers to snatch a point and they thought they had done so with just a few minutes to play, but Agirretxe's goal was eventually ruled out for offside.
To rub salt into the visiting wounds, Charles returned in the 89th minute to complete his hat-trick after reacting well to poke home after a scramble inside the Sociedad box to leave the final score at 3-1.
Christopher Dodd
