Alcoyano faces a decisive moment. After back-to-back defeats, Vicente Parras finds his squad in a delicate position as the season progresses toward key matches. The calendar, however, offers a window of opportunity: three of the next four games will be played at El Collao, giving the team a chance to leverage home support and climb the table.
The recent losses, first against Atletico Baleares at Nuevo Colombino in Huelva and then at the Estadi Balears, have put Deportivo on alert once more. The standings remain tight and the relegation battle is creeping closer, with the gap to safety narrowing to just two points.
The pain of a fragile Alcoyano
This is a period that does not reflect the broader arc of the season. A couple of victories against Melilla followed a goalless draw at home against Real Madrid Castilla ten days earlier. A memorable clash at La Rosaleda, against Malaga, offered a glimmer of relief after a slow start. Vicente Parras’ team had found a way to steady the ship and regain some confidence.
Two defeats in the wake of those ups and downs, against teams seeking entertaining results, do little to calm nerves. The defeats amplify the negative aura surrounding the club, rekindling anxiety among supporters who felt the squad had not yet corrected its course. The sense of disorganization that had unsettled the fan base in recent weeks has been hard to shake off.
Opportunity
Yet the schedule offers a break that Alcoyano can seize. The coming weeks are set to be decisive as the team prepares to face its rivals with the support of the home crowd. Three of Vicente Parras’ players will feature in front of their own fans in the next four matches, making El Collao a potential turning point for the campaign.
The strategic window provides a stage to reassert control over their campaign and push back into the upper portion of the table. The home fixtures are not just a chance to collect points but also to rebuild confidence and demonstrate the collective identity the club has shown at its best moments. The atmosphere at the stadium could become a differentiator, helping the team translate preparation into results on the field.
Vicente Parras on the approach to two-striker systems
The opening match of the day in the First Federation Group 2 pits Alcoyano against Atletico Madrid B in a meeting of two teams fighting for vital progress. With only a one-point gap separating them in the standings, this clash has a clear bearing on both sides.
Alcoyano will close 2023 with an away trip to San Fernando and will start the new year at home, with a January 4 fixture followed by another home match on January 14. The schedule then has the team facing Antequera, a rising force from the second division, who currently sit in sixth place in Group 2 of the Primera RFEF. The emphasis remains on continuity and balance in attack, as the manager continues to prioritise solidity and collective organization over a two-striker setup. This approach aligns with the club’s philosophy of maintaining structural integrity while seeking efficient scoring opportunities, especially in front of their supporters at El Collao.
In this moment, the focus is on maintaining consistency, building momentum, and translating training-ground ideas into tangible results on match day. The plan is clear: keep the team compact, energize the attack with smart movement, and trust the players to execute without exposing the defense to unnecessary risk. The upcoming fixtures will test how well the squad can apply this philosophy under pressure, while the fan base patiently awaits the revival of the form that once defined Alcoyano’s best seasons. Attribution: Sports desk commentary