This has become the central challenge for the second round of the competition. Hércules, currently second in Group Three of the Second Federation, faces a decisive matchup on the first day of the new year with the potential to clinch the winter championship. Although the aim was to overcome a direct rival and seize control, the season’s key clash did not go as planned.
The Alicante squad travels to Lleida on January 7 at 17:00 and will head into the game with a two-point cushion. A victory for them would allow Hércules to reclaim first place and be crowned the best of the first phase. This outcome would echo the scenario achieved two years ago under Sergio Mora’s leadership.
Coach Rubén Torrecilla has steered a unit that shows solid momentum, yet this season they have failed to defeat any opponent currently occupying a promotion spot. The gap remains a concern, and a win against Lleida would be a strong signal that the team is ready to contend for promotion in the closing stages.
Hércules tasted defeat for the first time this season when Sant Andreu, sitting in fifth place, beat them 3-1. Earlier, another setback came in a narrow 1-0 loss away at Europa, and this Sunday at the Rico Pérez stadium the team could not push past Badalona, settling for a 2-2 draw after twice overturning a negative score. These results have underscored a need to elevate performance against teams in the upper area of the table.
Torrecilla: “If Hércules plays like this, they will definitely move up the ranks at the end of the season.”
Pedro Rojas
The difficulties in head-to-heads with stronger sides trace back to the previous season, when Hércules won only two of ten matches against teams in the upper half. Securing a win at Lleida becomes especially important for the team’s confidence as they gear up to meet a direct rival again in the second round. The match will not decide the outcome, given that 17 more fixtures remain on the schedule, but it could establish a psychological line for both clubs.
Following the Christmas break, the blue-and-white squad will resume training to prepare for the Lleida clash on December 27. The squad, led by Rubén Torrecilla, will train on December 27, 28, and 29 and will take a brief holiday again starting from December 30.
After a three-day break, normal routines resume on January 2 as preparations begin for the year’s first game. The group’s leadership and the fight for the winter crown are at stake in that encounter.
Coscia, excellent finisher
Cesar Hernandez
The report notes Hércules’ stunning first half of the season, highlighted by a surprising Lleida that dominated play and collected all points at their home venue, despite a defeat against Europa, a standout moment in the campaign. The Catalan club will be without one of their key players, Neyder Lozano, who picked up his fifth yellow card in the final day of Hércules’ previous match. That absence could tilt the balance in a match that is expected to feature the top two teams from the first leg of Group Three.
[Cite: league records, match reports; attribution to team analysts and press coverage.]