There is no easy forecast for Lolo Escobar this Sunday at noon when Hercules visits the Pena Deportiva de Santa Eulalia. The visiting coach faces five safe losses in this stretch and Nico Espinosa is out long term. The margin for error remains slim; only a few losses could derail their playoff hopes with ten games left, and the path is lined with controversy as the team fights to maintain a chance at advancing.
Diego Jimenez isn’t in position to play this match either. He did not train all week and will not travel to Ibiza with the squad. A muscle issue kept him from featuring against Mestalla at the Rico Pérez stadium last Sunday, and it remains unclear whether he will be cleared for the upcoming clash with Formentera next Sunday at 19:30. Cesar Moreno will miss at least two more matches, and his role will be filled again by Maxi in the midfield.
The blue and white manager will enter the game with three suspensions: Cedars, Raúl Ruiz, and Roger Riera. Ruiz received a five‑game ban from the Competition Committee, and if Lolo decides to give him minutes, the earliest return would be April 16 against Olot. As for the defenders, the team will be short-handed this match after the full-back’s reprimand and a second yellow card offense leaves him suspended.
Hercules has not won a game in the Balearic Islands in six years
public relations
In defensive terms, the shape is clear: Mario Gomez and Dani Marin form the centre pairing as they prepare to take the field on the artificial turf of the Peña Deportiva complex. Throughout the season, only four teams have conceded more goals than Hercules, a sign of vulnerability that has defined the Blue and Whites. The new coaching staff reshaped the approach across the pitch and cut into the deficit of goals conceded, yet losses continued to pile up. Carlos Abad has enjoyed an exceptional season in goal, contributing valuable points for the team, and he is the only player to remain on the field for every minute of the campaign.
Hercules travels to Santa Eulalia under increasing pressure. They cannot afford another defeat as they chase a fifth-place finish. Opponents ahead are third in the table, a team hungry to secure their advantageous position. The Blue and White squad has relied on solid results on artificial turf this season, earning three points that bolster confidence ahead of the season’s final rematch.
Lolo Escobar: “We’re out of gas… and we’re out of gas”
Pedro Rojas
balance on artificial turf
Hercules cannot lean on artificial turf as a crutch after this match. On synthetic ground, the Blue and White team has performed respectably, collecting twelve points from eighteen possible. The surface, once a source of trouble, has become a place where the team has shown resilience. That record is the current frame for Escobar’s squad.
Across the season, Hercules has earned wins on synthetic turf against Prat (0-2), Atlético Saguntino (2-3), Badalona (0-1), and Ebro (0-1). They were defeated by Formentera (2-1) and Terrassa (2-0). The balance remains positive, and the team hopes to sustain it in the final stretch. There is one more fixture on artificial turf, against Manresa, a direct rival in the race for a playoff spot that could push promotion to the First RFEF. Ten matches remain to chase a single, crucial goal.