Ceuta, who made history against Elche wrapped in its delicate situation

Agrupación Deportiva Ceuta, a team from the First RFEF, receives this Tuesday in the round of 32 of King’s Cup to Elche with the aim of making history and qualifying for the round of 16 against a rival more focused on LaLiga and who, driven by their precarious position as the bottom team in the First Division, cannot worsen their situation in a cup elimination .

The modest team from Ceuta, founded in 1956 and two years ago was also measured in its Alfonso Murube Municipal Stadium with another rival from the First Division, Real Sociedad, who reached this round of the Cup after being eliminated Seville’s Utrera in the first two (0-1) and UD Ibiza (3-2), from LaLiga Smartbank, although focused on their league.

And it is, like Elche in LaLiga Santander, AD Ceuta also occupies the last place in Group I of the First RFEF after closing 2022 with only 7 points (two wins and one draw), eleven points away from safety.

Their coach, the Sevillian José Juan Romero, highlighted this Monday that they will face this match with great enthusiasm. “Although it is not our goal or our obligation, in quotes, it is true that this is an important event for both the city and the club, the players and the coaching staff, because it is a day that we will all have marked and we hope that Besides, it is included in the win,” he said.

Regarding Elche, he commented that “this type of match has many readings, but, in the end, it is a First Division team, with elite players and where any football player from their team will not be a starter here, but rather the best of the First RFEF”.

Romero hopes that “the Ceuta of the last moments of 2022” will be seen, where they made a “fantastic last stretch of the game”, but that, “very unfair”, they closed with “bad taste in mouth because of three or four parties” were left “with honey on their lips”, although he stressed that if they continue “on this line”, they will “compete to the end” for permanence.

For this duel against Elche, where the Ceuta club hopes to fill the 4,000 seats available for Alfonso Murube, Ismael César and Elías are not in Ceuta, although players like David Alfonso, Samu Casais, Aisar and Pablo have just recovered from injuries – some after a few weeks-, so they are not expected to start in an eleven that could be the same that beat UD Ibiza.

Elche face a one-game tie with their minds set on the League, where a large part of their options to avoid relegation will be played out in the coming days.

The Cup match in Ceuta takes second place for the Elche team, below the First Division, which this Friday receives Celta de Vigo in the League, a team that marks the zone permanently and is located nine points behind.

In addition, the match was conditioned by the many casualties suffered by the team and the long journey where Elche hardly had time to recover before their Liga match.

The Elche coach, Pablo Machín, will not be able to rely on the injured Josan Ferrández, Nico Fernández, Pol Lirola and John Chetauya for this match, nor on midfielder Álex Collado, who was absent at the last minute.

Argentine Lautaro Blanco, the first signing of the winter market, will also not be in the team for the first game of the year 2023, as he has not yet been discharged. Soriano coach regained Gerard Gumbau, who was absent last season in the League due to suspension.

Gonzalo Verdú and Domingos Quina, who will leave the next matchday after being sent off against Atlético, will be starters in a line-up where some of the players who played the least minutes will get their chance, because Elche’s absolute priority is the league.

Possible lineups:

Ceuta: Leandro Montagud; Macias, Alain, Juan Gutierrez, Robin; Liberto, Alberto Reina, Jota, Ñito González, Moyano; and Rodri.

Elche: Axel Werner; Gonzalo Verdú, Roco, Diego González; Tete Morente, Domingos Quina, Guti, Fidel, Clerc, Pere Milla and Ponce.

Referee: Jorge Figueroa Vázquez (Andalusian Committee).

Stadium: Alfonso Murube.

Time: 9:00 pm