Las Palmas defend first place

CD Lugo – UD Las Palmas (12:00, Estadio Ángel Carro)

The league leaders will get the day’s play underway in Liga Adelante. They will travel to a Lugo side who are struggling, and a defeat would see them sink closer to the relegation zone. Paco Herrera, the Island side’s boss, spoke positively of their opponents. He also said how he expects his side to play: “I want to see the same game a we played earlier this season. We must be intense and pressure up high. Possession will also be important”.

RCD Mallorca – CD Leganés (17:00, Iberostar Estadio)

Two points are all that separate Mallorca and Leganés; the Balearic side have 27, while the Madrid outfit have 29. The home side will be without Pau Cendrós and Manuel Arana through suspension, while Pedro Bigas is injured. The visitors, lead by coach Asier Garitano, will be without Carlos Gutiérrez and Jon Ander Serantes, however they will welcome back Martín Mantovani and Alberto Martín, who they were without last time out against UE Llagostera.

R. Sporting – Albacete B. (17:00, Estadio El Molinón)

Despite the difference between them in the table, it is a tie between two sides in similar form, having both won their last two games. Luis César Sampedro said he is “looking forward” to the game away to the Asturian outfit, however he is conscious of how difficult things will be given their opponent’s form: “Sporting have only lost one game this season in the league, against Betis, and they didn’t deserve to”.

CD Numancia – CE Sabadell (17:00, Nuevo Estadio de Los Pajaritos)

A game with both sides in need of the points, given recent results. “It’s a flame-test, we need to play as if it were a final. We need to look forwards, above all have a lot of focus and reduce our errors”, is how Sabadell interim manager Txus Serrano analysed the game.

R. Betis – SD Ponferradina (18:15, Estadio Benito Villamarín)

Betis, after their last results, are in contention for a promotion place to Liga BBVA. Meanwhile, Manolo Díaz’s side are having a good season, although they have started the New Year poorly. Pepe Mel, manage of the Seville side, spoke of the importance of the tie, especially about going into the last few months of the season with certain guarantees: “We have important games in the near future and we have to go game by game. The important this is to get to April as we are now”.

CD Tenerife – Girona FC (19:00, Heliodoro Rodríguez López)

The fight for survival meets the fight for promotion in the game that close the day’s play in Liga Adelante. Raúl Agne will make his debut on the sidelines for Tenerife in the encounter. The new Canary Islander’s boss highlighted their opponent’s strengths: “They have a great collective spirit, which has allowed them to get a lot of points in injury time. They also have an in form goalkeeper”.