Hull City play Malaga at the Marbella Football Center on Saturday in a pre-season friendly with kickoff at 7:30 pm.
With Ilicali in charge, it looks like the club is going to have a new era. The Turkish media mogul took over the club earlier this year, but this summer represents the real beginning of a new era for Hull.
Previous Hull owner Assem Allam had been in charge of the club since August 2013, and was a hugely divisive figure on Humberside; changing the name of the club from ‘Hull City AFC’ to ‘Hull City Tigers’ a particular nadir for most of their fanbase.
As is to be expected under a new ownership model, there has already been plenty of change at the club; Keane Lewis-Potter, George Honeyman and Tom Eaves departing for pastures new this summer after finding themselves surplus to requirements.
However, Ilicali is clearly putting his Turkish contacts to good use already; having attracted Allahyar Sayyadmanesh and Ozan Tufan on permanent deals from Fenerbahce.
After being relegated from Spain’s top flight in 2018, the club almost bounced back at the first attempt in the following season, ultimately falling at the promotion playoff hurdle. Three seasons have followed, with each year seeing a mid-table finish in Spain’s second tier.
However, last season was almost catastrophic as they found themselves two points away from relegation to the third tier.
Hull City vs Malaga Head to Head
Both sides are yet to face against each other and this marks their first encounter. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
- Lugo 1-0 Malaga
- Malaga 0-1 Burgos
- Tenerife 0-2 Malaga
- Malaga 0-0 Oviedo
Away
- Brighton 0-0 Hull City
- Fernebahce 2-0 Hull City
- Hull City 1-1 Birmingham
- Bristol 5-0 Hull City
Hull City Team News
Hull City have been dealt an injury blow in the form of Adama Traore’s hamstring tear. The former Hatayspor midfielder is expected to miss out on action until after Christmas. New signings Tufan, Sayyadmanesh, Jean Michael Seri, and Tobias Figueiredo are all expected to start against Malaga.
Malaga Team News
Malaga boss Pablo Guede will hope to put his stamp on proceedings after taking over in April. The 47-year-old will likely call upon the services of his six new signings, including former Watford right-back Juanfran and 41-year-old forward Ruben Castro.
Prediction and Odds
Despite the departure of several key players, Arveladze’s side have made some impressive signings who should be keen to impress their new boss.
- Hull City Win
- Goals Under 2.5
- No Score: Away
