Previews
DOM 14.12.2014
At. Osasuna VS Valladolid CF (12:00)
Sunday’s action gets underway with a clash between two of the divisions’ most historic sides. The Navarrans need the points if they’re to push out of the relegation spots and end a run of five winless games. It could hardly be more different for the visitors, for whom a win would see them consolidate their fourth-place position.
Jan Urban will have to make do without Nikola Vujadinović, who’s out with a muscle strain. His opposite number, Rubi, promised a battling display from his side: “I want us to fight, I want every single attack of theirs to be pressurized.”
RCD Mallorca VS CD Numancia (12:15)
Tensions are running high at the Iberostar, where home side Mallorca are winless in four. Visitors Numancia, on the other hand, have won three in a row. According to Mallorca’s manager Valeri Karpin: “We might not have won our last four, but we’ve been in worse situations. This Sunday is going to be tough, and we don’t have Bigas in the side either. Let’s see how the team reacts. We’ve been stopping teams from creating chances, but we’ve still managed to lose games.”
Juan Antonio Anquela, in spite of his team’s good form, sounded a note of caution: “Anyone can beat anyone in this division, and that’s no less true of Mallorca, who are a decent side.”
R. Zaragoza VS Girona CF (17:00)
In spite of losing to Barcelona B last week (0-1), Girona make the trip to the Romareda in third. Zaragoza, on 24 points, are in good shape too.
Both managers see it as a difficult match: “If we play our game,’ said Ranko Popović, “it will be harder for them to get at us.” His opposite number Pablo Machín said his side’s minds were firmly on Sunday: “Beating Zaragoza is our sole objective.”
UE Llagostera VS SD Ponferradina (17:00)
An absolute must-win for the Catalans, who are bottom of the table with just 13 points. Lluís Carrillo assured the fans: “The team is desperate to go out and show what their worth.”
Ponferradina, off the back of a big win against Alavés, head to the Nou Municipal de Palamós without Samuel Camille, Alan Baró and Pablo Infante, all injured. “We’re really going to have to compete and play well,” said manager Manolo Díaz. “It isn’t an easy place to go. It would be a good result for us if we won.”
Alavés VS Albacete B. (18:15)
Alberto López’s side will be looking to recover after losses against Ponferradina and CD Numancia. They face a side who, in spite of being second from bottom in the table, have notched up 7 points from a possible 9 in recent matches. A tantalizing prospect, given how badly each side is in need of a confidence boost.
AD Alcorcón VS Tenerife (19:00)
The Madrid-based side are in their best form of their season, with four wins and a draw. Tenerife got a good win over R. Racing (1-0) last week, but badly need points if they’re to ascend the rankings.
Álvaro Cervera made that very point: “This is a crucial time for the whole club. We need to go into the Christmas break on a good footing. Every match is a final now.”
CE Sabadell VS CD Leganés (21:00)
Matchday 17 draws to a close with a Catalan-Madrileño clash, both sides languishing near the bottom of the table. Just two points above their opponents, Leganés know what they need to do: “We have to be really switched on,” said coach Asier Garitano. “The spirit in camp is good ahead of Sabadell.”
The home side’s manager Aléx García was equally clear about his aims for the match at the Estadio Nova Creu Alta: “We’ve got to go out looking for the win. We managed a draw against Las Palmas, now it’s time to turn that into a win. We need the three points, no two ways about it.”
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