There are 18 matches on the horizon. The opener kicks off this Sunday at 17:00 in a stadium steeped in tradition: Camp d’Esports de Lleida. Hércules will complete its 2024 tour against the league leader they currently coach, with Angel Viadero at the helm and the familiar blue and white colors led by Chuli. The club’s talismanic striker Carmelo del Pozo found the net eight times on the final day of his second season in Alicante, making Ilerda the top scorer for his team with eight goals that campaign.
Both clubs started the season with similar ambitions, but they now stand in very different positions compared to twelve months ago. They shifted from hovering near the bottom of the table to contending for an honorary crown, the winter champion title. Although symbolic, the recognition can bring real relief for the squad. The aim is clear: winning would lift the burden of failing to beat direct rivals in the first half of the season.
Despite the long break, both sides were not idle. Home advantage gives Lleida a slight edge, but Torrecilla would not be surprised by a draw. Viadero signaled the same expectation in the pre-match press conference ahead of the highlights from the seventeenth matchday in the third group of the second RFEF.
fast movements
Neither side waited for the transfer window to open to fortify their ranks. Lleida added forward Jon Bakero and midfielder João Vigário, while Hércules moved to shore up the attack with Javi Moreno and the Ghanaian winger Richie Dapaah. The quartet has been involved in search work led by the coaches. For the blue-white team, which has 19 players, the Extremaduran coach is preparing the lineup before the opening whistle.
Torrecilla before Lleida-Hércules: “The energy is not decreasing, we have given hope back to the fans”
Hernan Torrecilla outlines the setup and the mood around the club ahead of the clash.
Lleida has not tasted defeat at home since last April, boasting ten wins at their stadium. They did not drop a single point at home after losing to Hércules last season, a 0-1 setback from Riera’s goal, which makes the visit even more significant for the guests who plan to play three of their four matches this month away from their base. The team is far from José Rico Pérez, yet the challenge remains substantial.
The starting XI Torrecilla is weighing for the home side remains under wraps. There is a strong possibility that Dupaah and Coscia will start, given their recent training and the friendly against Torrellano. Viadero will be without Neyder Lozano, who is suspended after accumulating yellow cards.
Without Lozano, the defense faces a drop in stamina, a factor Hércules will look to exploit. The Alicante club, which began the season by losing ten of its first seventeen matches, aims to reassert itself and show it can push for the top with a strong late push.
Hércules has not lost their first game after the winter break in more than a decade. The last defeat was in 2019 against Atlético Baleares (2-0), a side that would later lift the league title. Since then, the blue-and-white squad has started the new year with improved form in recent seasons, beating Atlético Saguntino, Marchamalo, and La Nucía in turn, while most post-break results have ended in draws against Olot, Aegea, Llosetense, and Mallorca B. There were notable exceptions in 2017 and 2014, when victories over Gavá and Mirandés punctuated a long history of competitive resilience.