Hercules appeared on the Ebro field with the need to correct course after two defeats in a row. But he is also aware of the difficulty of the environment, a very narrow artificial turf field and a strong wind makes it difficult to control the ball on a day. To measure himself in such a scenario, Lolo Escobar changed his mind to eleven with Diego Jiménez and two forwards, Jean Paul and Ander Vitoria, looking for more height in strategy on the right. The latter, eventually “forgiven” by his coach, moved from the stands into possession. He’s facing an uneven team, but having it in his own stadium is more believable.
The match started with the wind, the control was a chimera and the short game was very difficult on such a hard pitch. A little football and a lot of physicality due to the needs of the script. Despite this, Jean Paul left two quality brushstrokes, but the Frenchman lacked clarity in the final meters. In the first half, Hercules had a positive wind that invited them to try the long shots. However, control of people in Alicante has been diluted and Ebro has gotten better and created a few clear chances. This time they are not excuses, the field prevented playing football and the important thing was to be practical.
Before the break, César Moreno wanted a change due to an injury that was probably muscular from playing in such a demanding environment. His natural replacement, Maxi, took his place. The script was preserved when rebooted, but now the wind has been in favor of the locals, making it even more difficult for Lolo’s men to control. Everything but football and trying to survive on stage and taking advantage of every opportunity. Carlos Abad looked like he had smashed the locals in the goal with a reflexive save.
Minutes passed and the dream game came. Ander Vitoria called Alvarito, the winger went down the wing and Jean Paul sent his middle into the net with quality. A goal from another match to put Hercules ahead. It was time to manage the advantage and defend everything against an unyielding opponent. The minutes passed slowly, but the goal with the Ebro “touched” something. Jean Paul delivered the morning scare with a spectacular fall. The ambulance even entered the field to take out the Frenchman, but luckily he recovered and finished the game on the bench. Lolo Escobar entered Marín and Felipe to “match” the win in the final part of the match. They achieved this by adding three golden points, breaking the streak of two losses in a very tough match.