Features
JUE 04.02.2016
Winning is always a challenge in football and all the more so for a team reeling from seven straight defeats. Such was R. Sporting's plight just two matchdays ago, when they were mired in doubts.
Yet, as fate – and some fine play – would have it, Carlos Carmona scored the fastest goal in the Liga BBVA so far this season to kick-start their following match just 14 seconds in, and Dani Ndi grabbed a second not long after (9'). Sporting had two goals inside 10 minutes, as many as they had managed in their previous five encounters put together. The El Molinon crowd was in raptures…
The Asturians would end up thrashing Real Sociedad 5-1 in a goal fest that gave rise to some almighty sighs of relief in the Sporting dressing room. Talk about stopping the rot in style. Buoyed by this result, they travelled to Valencia and secured a 1-0 away victory, inflicting Los Che's first league loss on home soil since November 2014.
But the impact of Carmona and Ndi's goals aside, which represented a turning point, what other changes has Abelardo Fernandez introduced to fuel such a dramatic reversal of fortunes?
- Mere and Hernandez getting a foothold at the back
The injury to Bernardo Espinosa, the winner of last season's Liga Adelante Best Defender award, has left the side shorn of their most recognised specialist centre-back. Nevertheless, there are signs that the burgeoning partnership between Luis Hernandez and Jorge Mere could stand the team in good stead for the remainder of the campaign.
It would be hasty to conclude that they are an improvement on the absent Bernardo, but the Colombian has not been overly missed to date, which is good news. Academy starlet Mere, who is just 18, seems to be seizing his opportunity to get some Liga BBVA game time at a crucial stage in his development and has shown plenty of promise.
- Sergio Alvarez and Rachid, the new dynamic duo
Before the match against Real Sociedad, Alvarez and Rachid had never been paired in the middle of the park in a starting line-up. As they say, you don't mess with a winning formula – let alone when you've won 5-1 – and so the pair got the nod once more against Valencia. Again they shone, albeit with a little help from…
- Ndi, the chief catalyst
The Cameroonian's form epitomises this reinvigorated Sporting side, catching the eye with his ability to break up play, his engine - which allows him to cover plenty of ground - and his tireless industry. These are all key attributes for a team who feel most comfortable not dictating possession, but rather making the most of quick turnovers to get in behind the opposition defence.
As well as sitting in front of the holding midfielders, mucking in to help them with their defensive duties, Ndi's physical prowess also enables him to drive into any spaces that open up. Indeed, he is not shy about venturing into the opposition box: in addition to scoring against La Real in Gijon, he had more shots than any other Sporting player at Mestalla.
- Jony, Carmona and Sanabria: a strikingly hard-working front three
Abelardo knows full well that his team will have to outrun the opposition week in, week out if they are to stay up, and the attacking players are also required to pitch in. On this note, Jony and Carmona constantly work the channels and track back as a matter of course when opposing full-backs push forward.
Jony has been showcasing a knack for beating players one-on-one and delivering teasing crosses, while Carmona is contributing with his link-up play – including showing for the ball when Sporting play out from the back – not to mention his eye for goal.
However, if there is one man who is leading the charge in the scoring stakes, it is Antonio Sanabria. The Paraguayan has now hit the net 10 times in the Liga BBVA, including notching four in their two most recent victories: a hat-trick against La Real and the only goal of the game against Valencia. Sanabria isn't averse to doing his bit defensively either, with Abelardo praising him for this very reason in his press conference after their most recent match.
© LALIGA - 2016