 He made his official debut on 18 September in the club's first-ever UEFA Champions League group stage match, coming on as a half-time substitute for Francisco Portillo in a 3–0 home win over FC Zenit Saint Petersburg.Iturra scored his first goal for Málaga on 16 January 2013, profiting from a defensive scramble to put the visitors ahead at the Camp Nou against FC Barcelona, in an eventual 2–2 draw for the Copa del Rey (4–6 aggregate loss).He finished his first season at La Rosaleda Stadium with 39 appearances across all competitions, helping to a sixth-place finish in the league.