Malaga kept Cordoba waiting for their first Primera Division win of the season with a comfortable 2-1 away win on Saturday.
First-half goals from Samu and Nordin Amrabat with a penalty lifted Malaga up to seventh and kept their opponents in the bottom three.
Nabil Ghilas halved the deficit four minutes into time added on with the hosts' only chance of the match, but it was no more than consolation.
Defeat left the hosts still without a league win eight matches into the new season.
They went into the game on the back of consecutive draws, but it did not take long for things to start looking bleak this time.
Malaga had the first chance of the game as Juanmi's shot from inside the area flew wide of the right post after 15 minutes.
They were ahead seven minutes later as Samu fired a volley into the bottom right corner from Ignacio Camacho's cross into the area from the left.
Amrabat made it two in the 31st minute, placing his penalty low into the left corner after goalkeeper Juan Carlos had brought down Juanmi. The keeper was booked for his troubles.
Malaga might have been out of sight before the break, with Samu's shot from the edge of the area tipped round a post by Juan Carlos.
The visitors kept the pressure up after the break, Camacho seeing his header from a Recio corner blocked by Inigo Lopez Montana.
The hosts then had Juan Carlos to thank again as he parried a volleyed effort from Vitorino Antunes.
As time ran out Malaga took their foot off the gas, safe in the knowledge the points were theirs, and Cordoba finally created a chance deep into stoppage time.
It resulted in a goal as Ghilas curled a shot into the top corner from inside the area, but it was far too little too late.