Sporting de Gijón, without one of its starting forwards, Montenegrin Uros Djurdjevic, ‘Djuka’, sanction, he will look to surprise Rayo Vallecano, who are very excited about the Copa del Rey, do not want threats like in the previous round and can no longer count on his star reinforcement for the winter market, Raúl De Tomás .
The Asturian team will face the event with the same eleven that left Numancia, although Abelardo could strengthen the defensive plan by including a third center-back to try to stop the offensive power of the Madrid team .
Sporting has two games with very little time difference this week. The match against Rayo Vallecano and the second on Friday against Levante in Liga, both at El Molinón, so the squad wants to start the year giving two good fans.
The Asturian side will be hoping to repeat the surprise they pulled off last season when they knocked Villarreal out of the Cup on the same date.
Abelardo cannot count on the injured Nacho Méndez, Bamba and Izquierdoz or the suspended Djurdjevic, in addition to keeping Gio Zarfino in doubt, who he is unlikely to force out of the Cup so he can play against Levante.
The Asturian coach, throughout the week, carried out several tests on his method. The most notable is the play with three central defenders, delaying the position of Gragera, who has already played several games as a defender this season, and the seconding of Insua and Bruno González, who made his debut as a rojiblanco in the Cup match in Soria against him. Numancia
Milovanovic’s good performance against Numancia, where he scored two goals, together with the absence of Djurdjevic and the physical condition of Víctor Campuzano, which is questionable, as he suffered a fibrillar rupture a few weeks ago, may ensure the continuation of the Serbian in the starting team.
The main novelty in the squad is the presence of midfielder Jonathan Varane, brother of Manchester United player Raphael Varane, who belongs to the reserve team squad, but has been training with the first team for a few days.
The opposite is Rayo Vallecano, who enter this round of 32 with little suspense after eliminating Atlético Saguntino on penalties in the previous round.
After that scare, which served as a warning, Andoni Iraola does not want confidence against a rival who, although he is from the Second Division, in Rayo they consider to have the highest potential and more in their stadium in front of their fans.
The only safe loss for Rayo is striker Raúl De Tomás, who after nearly four months without action when he signed in September can now be registered even though he has some discomfort in a knee that prevents him from him playing.
Most likely, Iraola presents an eleven with some rotation compared to the Liga, such as the presence of Diego López under the sticks, although there is a maximum guarantee in all lines.
The main doubt is in attack with options to start both for Sergio Camello and the Colombian Radamel Falcao.
Possible lineups:
Sports: Maritime; Pol Valentín, Insua, Bruno González, Diego Sánchez; Nacho Martin, Pedro Diaz, Cristo Gonzalez, Jordan Carrillo; Queipo, Milovanovic.
Vallecano Ray: Diego López; Mario Hernandez, Mario Suarez, Catena, Fran Garcia; Valentine, Comesaña; Andrés Martín, Trejo, Baby; Camel or Falcao.
Referee: Juan Luis Pulido Santana (Las Palmas Committee).
Stadium: El Molinon.
Time: 9:00 pm
haha/rm/drl/og
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.
