Free spending Malaga were probably the story of the off-season in Spain. Finally able to extend the financial muscle given to them by the Qatari business group who purchased them during the 2010/11 season, coach Manuel Pellegrini added nine players to his ranks, with some big names in the mix. In came Ruud van Nistelrooy, Jeremy Toulalan and Joaquin as Pellegrini seemed to be given a brief of signing players who would not only improve his side, but also add a fair bit of reputation to his side from the Costa del Sol.

It has to be said that the smartest signing made by Pellegrini was also his most expensive, costing €21 million. The man in question was Villarreal’s Santi Cazorla.

It was quite surprising to see Cazorla move for such a small sum considering his performances for the side that finished fourth in La Liga last season. The winger, capped 34 times for Spain and part of the 2008 European Championships winning squad, was heavily linked with a move to Arsenal in the summer and so it was quite a coup, money or not, for Malaga to secure his signature.

As with Manchester City and Paris Saint Germain, spending a lot of money has generated a fair amount of press coverage, and with that the expectations around the club are lifted. Malaga finished 11th last season and were only three points away from relegation. A total transfer outlay of over €55 million means that mid-table simply won’t do for Pellegrini and his team. Early season results are showing an encouraging start to life as European hopefuls.

A disappointing start saw them lose 2-1 away at Sevilla, with nothing seeming to click for them on the pitch. Dissenters weren’t slow to stick the knife in. It was always going to be a tough start for Los Boquerones, but it would definitely have been the performance rather than the result that was of most frustration for the fans and the coach.

The disappointment didn’t last long as a Cazorla inspired Malaga went on a three match winning streak immediately after, including a thumping 4-0 rout of La Liga new boys Granada and a fine home victory over Marcelo Bielsa’s well fancied Athletic Bilbao side. Cazorla scored four goals in Malaga’s first three games – with he alone scoring more goals from outside of the area than any other team in the league.

A draw away at Zaragoza kept the unbeaten run going before this weekend’s round of games which saw fellow foreign-owned side Getafe travel to the Andalucían coast. Malaga dominated the early exchanges and were perhaps unlucky to go behind to a fantastically finished goal from Real Madrid loanee Pedro Leon; who managed to control the ball and lash home on the volley in one smooth movement. The lead didn’t last long as van Nistelrooy tapped home his first goal for the club after an uncharacteristic barren spell in front of the net. Malaga were lacking class in the final thire as Cazorla, playing in his free-role in the centre, was perhaps trying to orchestrate everything a little too much and could have been more clinical in his distribution. Malaga were definitely on top though, and it came as a massive shock when Miku gave Getafe the lead back in controversial circumstances. A cross came in from the right and the Venezuelan put it away with the Malaga players insistent that he had handled it. The referee was hardly clear, with both sets of players unsure of the result and the eventually outcomes stated as a goal and a red card for Getafe. Lacen saw red for his protests having thought the goal had been chalked off.

Malaga were shell-shocked and seemed set to lose for the first time at home this season, and it took an incredible finish to stop that. Substitute Enzo Maresca, who came on for the ineffective Joaquin, was in the right place to pop home Malaga’s second equaliser after ex-Real Madrid and Arsenal man Julio Baptista fluffed his lines. But it was the Brazilian striker who wrote the headlines with an incredible injury time winner following sustained pressure from Malaga for a winner. Jose Rondon, who came on for van Nistelrooy, nodded the ball back into the box and Baptista managed an incredible overhead kick which sent the Malaga fans into raptures. That goal gave Malaga their fourth win of the season and means they are unbeaten in five. The big spenders currently side in fourth place in La Liga.

Of course, whilst games against Athletic and Zaragoza are always tough, Malaga have only had one really strenuous test, away at Sevilla, and they came unstuck. Perhaps this side are capable of causing upsets. We will soon find out as Malaga have to travel to inform Levante next week before hosting Real Madrid at La Rosaleda.