Malaga continue to prop up the Primera Division standings after playing out a fiery draw with fellow strugglers Real Zaragoza in a match which saw both teams finish with 10 men.

Zaragoza took the lead just after half-time when substitute Ewerthon slotted home from the penalty spot but Malaga salvaged a point thanks to debutant Ivan Gonzalez's towering header in the 74th minute.

In between those two goals, both teams lost a player to early baths, with Zaragoza defender Javier Paredes picking up his second yellow card in the 59th minute and Malaga centre-back Weligton following him two minutes later after being shown a straight red.

On top of those dismissals, there were also nine other yellow cards in a match that threatened to boil over towards the end.

Although they managed to avoid an eighth defeat in 11 matches this season, the result was not enough to lift Malaga off the foot of the table and they remain a point adrift.

For promoted Zaragoza - who almost stole the win after hitting the post during seven minutes of injury-time at the end - the draw sees them move five points clear of the bottom three and marginally improves a dismal away record that had seen them lose four of their previous five games on the road, whilst only drawing the other.

After a goalless first half of few chances, visitors Zaragoza took the lead in the 49th minute through Ewerthon, who had entered the action in the 11th minute due to an injury to Javier Arizmendi.

Ewerthon got the chance to score his second goal of the season after Angel Lafita went crashing in the area under a challenge from Malaga goalkeeper Gustavo Munua.

The Malaga players looked far from impressed with the decision, presumably believing Lafita had gone down far too easily, but Ewerthon was not about to waste the opportunity, putting just enough power on his penalty to beat the outstretched hand of Munua.

Malaga received a boost soon after that, though, when visiting defender Paredes picked up two bookings in the space of eight minutes to leave his team a man down.

However, the home side enjoyed their numerical advantage for just two minutes before they too were reduced to 10 men when Weligton saw red for violent conduct.

Fortunately for the home side, they were still able to claim a point despite that setback thanks to Ivan, who was called up from the youth team for this match.

Albert Luque sent over an outswinging corner from the left which Zaragoza goalkeeper Javier Lopez Vallejo started to come for and then stopped, and Ivan took advantage by climbing above his marker and powering his header into an unguarded net.

The closing stages of the match provided plenty of incident, with chances at both ends and an extended fracas that resulted in those extra seven minutes at the end of the game.

And Zaragoza almost made the most of that added time as Lafita's stabbed shot struck the post before the sliding Gabi fired the final chance over the bar when unmarked at the far post.