Eldense, two-month leader
In the marathon toward professional football, a quartet of local teams shares the same dream. This season, only two have kept pace, and the calendar has shifted to an experimental phase approved by the federation. One coach asked everyone to stay home, choosing rest over travel this weekend.
On Saturday, Eldense and La Nucía face off at Nuevo Pepico Amat in a matchup that highlights two very different moments in their campaigns. The home side is competing in the Second Division, while the visitors are battling to avoid relegation. The Segunda Federación remains a brutal battleground, and a return to it is not even a distant memory anyone desires.
Those from Marina Baixa were surprised by Fernando Estévez’s lineup in the first round, as Cesar Ferrando’s team settled for a 1-0 victory on the bench. They started from near the bottom of their group, and that win briefly lifted Deportivo from the top, underscoring how unpredictable close matches can be. It marked the third win in 13 days for the Rojillos, a troubling trend that the managerial shakeup has yet to reverse.
La Nucía heads into a venue where the leader has yet to lose at home this season, though the visitors have managed to win four times on the road. Azulgranas stumble after a forceful showing in Tarragona, and Castalia’s earlier results are no longer decisive; they arrive at Nuevo Pepico Amat as favorites, only to face a replenishment in the stands and on the pitch.
Emergencies and discrediting
The following day, the scene shifts to El Collao. Here, drama is distributed generously, and both sides treated their position in the standings with equal urgency. Both teams carry a shared aim for permanence, yet their initial ambitions for the season have slipped behind as results piled up.
Vicente Parras faces concerns about morale almost as much as the threat of relegation. The credibility of the coaches is under scrutiny again. Each side seems supported by its federation, but questions about consistency persist. In the first round, the visiting side stunned Deportivo with a decisive result, while Vincent Parras orchestrated an impressive comeback that tested confidence across the board.
No one has conceded more goals against Alcoyano, whose defensive solidity was once its backbone. The current gap between the two clubs is pointedly small, and a pending result between Sabadell and UD Logroñés could tighten the margins even further. In this league, victory remains scarce and every point matters for teams trying to stay up.