Previews
DOM 15.02.2015
Girona FC – R. Sporting (12 pm)
It’s second versus third at the Municipal de Montilivi as Sporting and Girona aim to move to the top of the Liga Adelante, a position currently held by a UD Las Palmas side who are level on points with both teams (47).
The coach of the Catalan outfit, Pablo Machín, took advantage of his pre-match press conference to call on the fans to drive the players on "just as they have in other games". Meanwhile, visiting boss Abelardo Fernández had words of praise for his opponents: "They’re a very good team and they’re really well drilled. It’s an important match and it’s effectively worth four points, but it isn’t decisive."
SD Ponferradina – CD Numancia (4 pm)
Ponferradina, who ended the previous matchday in seventh, need to get back to winning ways at El Toralín to keep in touch with the play-off places, and will have to overcome a Numancia outfit who come into the clash on the back of a morale-boosting 3-0 victory over CE Sabadell.
"It will be a tough game and a hard one to win," underlined home boss Manuel Díaz. "They’re very dangerous on set-pieces, as Julio Álvarez takes their free-kicks really well." His counterpart in the Numancia dugout, Juan Antonio Anquela, commented that he is weighing up the possibility of changing his team’s defensive make-up: "Playing with three central defenders is a more than viable option."
R. Valladolid CF – AD Alcorcón (4 pm)
Fresh from a 1-4 win over R. Racing C., Valladolid want to take advantage of the meeting between fellow promotion rivals Girona and Sporting to gain places in the table. Up against them are an Alcorcón team whose last outing saw them draw 2-2 with CD Mirandés after falling two goals behind. The men from Madrid, who have 31 points, are out to remain in a comfortable position in the table.
In the view of Joan Francesc Ferrer 'Rubi', coach of los pucelanos, the key to the encounter "will be getting the opening goal", because "that could change the script of the match".
CE Sabadell – R. Zaragoza (5 pm)
A meeting between two sides who are on opposing runs and have very different objectives. Juan Carlos Mandiá takes charge of Sabadell for the first time, and will be hoping to end the poor sequence of results that the Liga Adelante’s bottom club are going through. If they are to curb their negative form, the Catalans will have to beat a Zaragoza team who are aiming to consolidate in sixth position.
Mandiá discussed the difficulty of the encounter, stressing that Zaragoza are "one of the most in-form teams in the division". The visitors’ coach, Ranko Popović, underlined that he expects a tough clash: "This match is one of the most dangerous. They’ve changed their coach, the players will want to do well and they’re opponents who can play".
Albacete B. – Real Betis (6:15 pm)
Albacete, who beat Betis 0-1 in the teams’ first meeting of the season, are looking to repeat the feat in order to move out of the relegation zone. Los verdiblancos, who are seeking a return to winning ways to keep themselves in the hunt for automatic promotion, won’t make it easy for them.
The hosts’ coach, Luis César Sampedro, insisted that they will be out to "make Betis defend, make life difficult for them when they don’t have the ball and ensure they run as hard as possible without it". Meanwhile, Pepe Mel declared that "three vital points" are at stake for his side at the Carlos Belmonte.
UD Las Palmas – R. Racing C. (7 pm)
Las Palmas will try to protect top spot against Racing, who were on the end of a heavy defeat to Valladolid on the last matchday and need to pick up points to stay out of the drop zone.
The home team come into the game off the back of losing to CD Lugo, but coach Paco Herrera explained that the reverse against the Galicians has not affected their plans: "We’ve continued to work as normal, without thinking that we had to change things after defeat in Lugo". Paco Fernández, boss of the Cantabrian outfit, was optimistic about his side’s chances: "We’re in good form. We have to go there with the mindset that we’re going to come away with something."
CD Leganés – CD Lugo (9 pm)
Leganés, who have only lost once at the Municipal de Butarque, will be confident of carrying on their strong record at home to remain in a position of comfort in the table. The team from Madrid host a Lugo outfit who go into the encounter boosted by a 2-1 win over Las Palmas that has brought about a three-way tie at the top between the Canary Islanders, Girona and Sporting.
"Lugo will be tough opponents. We have ten matchdays left at home and no-one can afford to relax", said Leganés coach Asier Garitano. Meanwhile, visiting boss Quique Setién commented that his team’s upcoming rivals are a "very well-drilled" side who "do a lot of things really well".
© LALIGA - 2015