He returns to Valdepeñas to face the rival who eliminated him in the title play-off last season
Getting to the Virgen de la Cabeza pavilion is always complicated. The local fans are among the most popular in the entire league and usually carry their own fans in flight. It is also more difficult if you remember Jimbee Cartagena’s elimination last season in La Mancha territory, in a match that seemed absolutely decided for the meloneros.
A lot has changed for both teams since then. Duda’s men are packed, with seven wins in their last eight games and positioned as leaders. David Ramos’ men are having a hard time stringing together wins despite the great squad they’ve built. They won again last week after five times without doing so and although they have progressed to playoff positions, they are still a long way from their ambition to fight with the best.
The meloneros will not be able to count on the Brazilian Luçao, the ‘pichichi’ of the league and one of the best players to date. Yes, Bebe and Juanan will be there, already recovered. Chemi will be in doubt until the last minute, with some discomfort likely to return Raúl Jerez to the title. Regarding the classification, Duda, Jimbee’s coach, reflected: “The leadership is anecdotal and even dangerous, because of the environment that ultimately influences you. That pressure to maintain that situation should not exist for us. We have to have the pressure to win the next match regardless of the standings.
As for the rival, he added that “it is a team with very experienced people. It is a spectacular team, with good players and defensive and offensive specialists.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
