Previews
DOM 22.03.2015
R. Racing C. – R. Zaragoza (El Sardinero, 12:00)
Sunday’s games kick off with a duel in which Racing need to give their home supporters a victory so they can escape from the relegation zone. They host a Zaragoza team that needs to do the same to cling on to sixth place. The Cantabrian side are on a positive run after taking four points in their last two matches, while Zaragoza have gone five games without winning.
Racing coach Javier Pinillos believes that Real Zaragoza are "a very complicated team that know exactly how they want to play". His opposite number Ranko Popović spoke about the importance of this game. "We are all playing for our lives. We’ve gone five games without winning and we want to bring this run to an end. If we win this game we’ll be one step closer to where we want to be."
CD Lugo – D. Alavés (Estadio Ángel Carro, 16:00)
The Galician side, who sit in the middle of the table, host an Alavés side that recently beat Osasuna 3-0 in a postponed game from matchday 24. The Basque team’s triumph over the Navarrans took them up to eighth place, meaning they can dream of getting into the play-offs. To do that, Alberto López’s men must overcome a Lugo side that have drawn one and won three of their last four matches.
Lugo winger David Ferreiro analysed the game: "Alavés are on a good run, they will come here with sky high spirits, they have great players and they are a very intense team. It’s going to be a very difficult game." López meanwhile said "it’s very tight” in the league table, and therefore his team "must keep picking up points".
Girona FC – CE Sabadell (Estadio Municipal de Montilivi, 17:00)
This Catalan derby throws up two sides with distinct ambitions. The hosts, who have picked up points in just one of their last six games, do not want to miss the train of automatic promotion. The visitors on the other hand need a victory as they seek to get off the bottom of the table.
"Sabadell are improving slowly but the most important thing is us. Every opponent is going to be difficult," said the Girona coach Pablo Machín. Sabadell boss Juan Carlos Mandiá meanwhile called Girona "a great team that is competing with the best teams in the league”. “They will demand a lot of our defence and our concentration," he said.
R. Sporting – RC Recreativo (Estadio El Molinón, 17:00)
After their victory at CD Leganés, Sporting are just one point behind Real Betis at the top of the league table. Therefore, the Asturians will want to keep being ambitious and pick up three more points to keep dreaming. Their opponents, Recreativo, go into the game needing to win so they can get out of the relegation zone as soon as possible.
Abelardo Fernandez, the Sporting coach, said that his players "have to go out to win, but also to enjoy themselves". He also explained that he is only asking his players "to compete and position themselves well defensively and in attack". Meanwhile, Juan Manuel Pavón, the Recre boss, said of his side’s opponents: "They are a difficult side to play, they are near the top of the league on their own merit and they have a great support, but given our situation in the table, we have no other choice but to go for the win."
SD Ponferradina – R. Valladolid CF (El Toralín, 18:00)
Ponferradina will look to compensate for their recent defeat against CD Mirandés so they can keep fighting for sixth place. To do so, they will need to beat a Valladolid side who thrashed CD Numancia 4-0 in their last outing and who are keen to finish the day in the automatic promotion spots.
"They have a great squad and have good wing play, something we will need to bear in mind. We’ll have to defend well and hit them on the counter," said Manolo Díaz, the Ponferradina coach. His opposite number Rubi meanwhile spoke about his team’s fine run of form. "I think the team are in good shape and are really looking forward to the game. We are a very good group of professionals, even if sometimes things don’t go how we want them to. We have to change our dynamic away from home, especially if we bear in mind our potential and the demands we place on ourselves."
CD Tenerife – At. Osasuna (Estadio Heliodoro Rodríguez López, 19:00)
The Canary Islanders, who have gone five matches without losing, want to maintain their good run of results so they can keep increasing the distance between themselves and the relegation zone. The Navarrans visit Tenerife after suffering a tough defeat to Alavés which situates them two points from the drop zone, so they need to pick up points to avoid getting into a tough situation."
Tenerife boss Raúl Agné appealed to the club’s fans. "We are playing at home and we want the fans to support us and push us as they have up until now. We want to play at a high tempo, with or without the ball. Nino, the former Tenerife player and Osasuna’s top scorer, spoke about his return to the island. "I’m returning for the first time in four years, but you have to lead your memories and sentiments to one side. We have to focus on working hard and giving our all so we can turn things around."
© LALIGA - 2015