It wasn’t the ideal outing for Eldense as they returned to Nuevo Pepico Amat. The 0-0 draw with Huesca ended without Eldense threatening on target, while Huesca carved out the clearer chances. Deportivo, meanwhile, extended their unbeaten run to eight games, quietly climbing toward the 50-point landmark.
Eldense keeps its strongest Second Division stretch intact with a clean slate
Estévez reshuffled the starting XI with three changes, one in each phase of play, for the clash against Real Oviedo. Carlos Hernández came in for Dumic after the red card in the previous match. Cris Montes replaced Clemente, who had back problems all week, and Mo Dauda came in for Juanto Ortuño.
The rest of the lineup, familiar to Granada supporters, mirrored a system the coach has trusted at Nuevo Pepico Amat. What was unfamiliar was the way the team began the game, making several unforced errors. The intent to control possession was clear, yet the execution rarely matched the plan.
Facing a Huesca side hungry for points to ease their relegation concerns, the visitors pressed early. Four minutes in, Sielva struck a free kick that narrowly missed the target, with the ball evading Barça goalie Álvaro Aceves on its path.
Aceves stands tall as Huesca misses a chance
The keeper proved pivotal again when a dangerous moment arose shortly after. Gerard Valentín slid in at ground level to block a shot, and the Aragonese forward endured the contact with little pain as errors began piling up for Eldense in build-up play.
Although Eldense wanted to force their game, their rhythm never took hold. Mo Dauda struggled to receive the ball, and the attempts from Sergio Ortuño and David Timor lacked the decisive touch the home crowd hoped for. The opening 20 minutes bore little resemblance to the earlier fixtures observed from the shoemakers’ city.
As the minutes passed, the action levelled out with few truly dangerous moments. Near the end of the first half, Chapela rose to meet Marc Mateu’s corner and headed home, while Valentín unleashed a long-range shot into the wind, prompting a save from Aceves as conditions worsened.
The rain gave way to a grayish atmosphere as the first half concluded, leaving Eldense searching for a breakthrough that never came.
Close to halftime and the second half opens with inches of tension
After the break, the battle remained mostly even. Eldense pressed, yet lacked the clarity to threaten consistently, while Huesca defended well against waves of crosses and set pieces, especially from corners.
A harsh tackle by Mo Dauda earned a yellow card and flagged him for a suspension due to accumulated bookings ahead of the Tenerife trip. The Barça coach then experimented with the lineup, benching Dauda and Montes and bringing in Juanto and Alex Martínez. The Seville-born defender returned to competitive action for Barça after a significant injury last year, marking his first second division appearance in a Granada shirt in five years.
Marc Mateu offered a glimpse of potential when he suggested the scoreline with a bold run, though the tempo of the game remained skittish and the grass condition hindered both sides. The visitors looked slightly more composed, controlling several phases but without converting into scoring chances.
In the final moments, the contest continued to tilt toward cautious play. A set piece from Eldense produced a goal moment that the officials ruled offside, leaving the scoreboard unchanged. Carlos Hernández had earlier found the net from a free kick, only to see the flag raise as the whistle blew for offside.
Aceves again denied Iván Martos with a powerful stand, preserving Deportivo’s attempt. The Eldense goalkeeper had already emerged as a standout for the home team, providing crucial saves in a match where the likelihood of a breakthrough remained slim.
Earlier, Elady of Huesca received a second yellow for a foul, signaling the end of any dramatic late push. The game’s final minutes featured a Mateu corner that wandered through the box without a finishing touch, sealing a 0-0 result that felt like a mutual concession.
The positive takeaway is Eldense’s current eight-match unbeaten streak, a run that has lifted their points tally to 35 and moved them closer to safety. The next league test is scheduled in Tenerife on Monday, February 19, at 20:30 local time.
MATCH REPORT
Eldense (0): Aceves; Toni Abad, Carlos Hernández, Íñigo Piña, Marc Mateu; Cris Montes, Sergio Ortuño, Timor Silva, Iván Chapela; Mo Dauda, Álex Bernal. Substitutes: Álex Martínez for Montes min 57, Pedro Capó for Ortuño min 72, Doué for Bernal min 72.
Huesca (0): Andrés Fernández; Nieto, Loureiro, Pulido, Martos; Gerard Valentín, Sielva, Javi Martínez, Joaquín Muñoz (Hugo Vallejo min 77); Obeng, Elady (Tresaco min 84).
Officials: Referee González Frances (Canary Committee). Cards: Dauda, Clemente. Attendance: more than 4,000 at the Nuevo Pepico Amat Stadium.