The old guard threatened Intercity with Sabadell de’s presence, yet the visitors held firm. Christian Herrera appeared in a pivotal moment, and although the Intercity side led by Alejandro Sandroni did not concede, the former key man of the Sabadell roster helped the Catalans neutralize the hosts’ early strike. As a result, Alicante remains in the Segunda RFEF without slipping from the relegation line.
Cristian Herrera: Friendly fire? For Intercity
Pedro Rojas
Two minutes in, a clearance from the defensive zone opened a path for Intercity to launch an attack. The ball rose high, Etxaniz moved to block Ortolá but misplayed it, and the ensuing misfortune belonged to the Sabadell goalkeeper. Aarón Piñán pounced on the loose ball and fired the locals ahead on the scoreboard.
The goal gave the black-jerseyed side confidence to push lines forward and control possession against the Catalans, who created little danger in the opening period. Alicante stayed competitive, with a strong cross from Jesús and a long-range attempt that Etxaniz could not guide with a header. Pol Roigé faced a difficult save from Ortolá after a costly mistake in the build-up, paying for the initial error.
Draw and Sabadell’s dominance
Miki Lladó sensed a change was needed and made a double substitution at halftime. But the standout moment came from Cristian Herrera, who had been largely unseen in the first half. He connected quickly with the attack after the restart, delivering a brilliant pass to Pau Víctor, and a composed solo run finished with a close-range shot that beat Manu Herrera for the equalizer. The goal required a close encounter and a precise finish in a contested position.
Intercity and La Nucía face crucial battles for permanence
INFORMATION
The match settled into a draw, a familiar outcome for a game with Sabadell’s persistent pressure and Intercity’s counter threats. In another long ball play, Aarón Piñán outmaneuvered two opponents, landing the ball in a prime spot for a potential finish from the penalty area. Xemi stepped up, but Gualda intervened to block the shot and clear for a corner.
Gualda had several chances for the visitors. First, a clever move from distance created an opening that surprised Manu Herrera, sending the ball wide and high. A later decision from the referee ruled out a goal for offside. He also delivered a superb cross from a free kick that Moha converted, yet the header found no net as it skimmed past the post.
The closing minutes favored Sabadell, yet Intercity clung to the draw and kept their home unbeaten run alive (seven games). The relegation battle in Segunda RFEF remains tight with only three games left in the season.
Match paper
INTERCITY: Manu Herrera; Guillem Jaime, Undabarrena (Bellotti, 79′), Miguel Marí (Burlamaqui, 59′), Pol Roigé (Cedric, 70′), Álvaro Pérez, Rafa Gálvez, Xemi (Nsue, 79′), Cristo, Etxaniz (Miku, 59′) and Aarón Piñán.
SABADELL: Ortola; Pau Resta, Morgado, Guillem Molina, Altimira (Gualda, 46′), Cristian Herrera, Vargas (Sergi García, 46′), Pau Víctor (Vladys, 77′), Corbalán (Moha, 77′), Alberto Fernández (Baena, 63′) and Astals.
GOALS: 1-0 (2′) Aarón Piñán. 1-1 (47′) Pau Víctor.
REFEREE: Armando Ramo Andres. Pau Resta cautioned Baena, Rafa Gálvez, Miku, Moha and Vladys.
STADIUM: Antonio Solana (Alicante).