Hércules entered the season with momentum, yet the opening stretch had the team chasing a deficit at several points. César Díaz capitalized on a mistake by Míchel Herrero to push the visitors to a 2-0 lead, but Alicante’s side showed resilience. After the winter pause, the blue and whites returned with renewed spirit, earning a draw and two wins through dramatic comebacks and a sharpened tactical mindset.
Sandro Toscano emerged as a pivotal influence after the break, steering the squad with quiet determination. Earlier, a precise pass to Jean Paul rekindled hope as the French forward leaned on his teammates to close the gap.
The Extremaduran manager opted for a two-striker setup early on, giving the visitors an edge in possessing the ball and dictating play. From that pressure, Raul Ruiz surged down the right, dragging Ander Vitoria wide before delivering a through-ball to leave the midfielder unmarked in front of Marcos Levin. The penalty-area shot sailed wide, and the home crowd celebrated a missed opportunity as the clock read 0-1.
Míchel’s two omissions contributed to Atlético Saguntino’s early edge, as the home side executed with precision
Hércules kept probing Saguntino’s flank, hunting for openings in a defense that was gradually being stretched. A header from Tuscany in the opening twenty minutes went unnoticed by the referee, who did not award a penalty. About thirty minutes in, Alvarito’s foray from the left culminated in a shot handled safely by Saguntino’s goalkeeper.
Gradually the Valencians found space to breathe and began pressing higher up the pitch. A moment of misjudgment by Míchel in distributing the ball allowed Nacho Ramón to intercept and rush at Carlos Abad, initiating a quick sequence that unsettled the balance. A well-placed shot to the near post in the 35th minute jolted Saguntino into a lead, casting a shadow over the first half with danger from inside the box.
The blue-and-whites clinch the first leg on Morvedre’s synthetic turf
The hosts carried momentum into the second half, but the Alicante area’s two-goal cushion remained elusive. Escobar’s only change came at the break, replacing Ander Victori with Christian Cedres. Just two minutes after the interval, Roma capitalized on another mistake by Míchel to beat Abad, with César Díaz gliding past the retreating defense to double the advantage to 2-0.
Doubts after a 2-0 Defeat
Hércules showed hesitation after falling behind, yet Tuscany spotted space for Jean Paul to exploit. The French forward released the ball with composure, helping his side find a route back into the game with a tidy finish to cut the deficit to 2-1. Albadalejo adjusted the defensive setup but could not seal the left flank, allowing the ball to reach Alvarito, who finished near the post as the clock neared the midway point of the second half.
Data and moments of quality kept Hércules hopeful as the match progressed. A late surge from Sandro Toscano and the rest of the visitors pressed forward, seeking an equalizer. A second chance for César Moreno in the box was thwarted by the goalkeeper, before Felipe Chacartegui leveled the score in the 77th minute. The comeback continued, and three minutes from the end, Toscano delivered the decisive counter that sealed a memorable victory for Hércules and its supporters.
With the triumph, Hércules climbed to tenth place and narrowed the gap in the battle against the relegation zone. They now travel to Rico Pérez to face Ibiza Pitiusas Islands next Sunday, aiming to extend their improved form and rise further up the standings.