RCD Espanyol headed to the city of Sestao to play the first round of the Copa del Rey Mapfre against Sestao River, the leader of Group 1 of the Second Federation. The trip took place in a climate of tension, since coach Manolo González is in a delicate situation after recent defeats against Barbastro and Atlético Baleares, both teams in the same category. The game will be held at the Las Llanas stadium at 7:00 p.m. and will be broadcast by Movistar LaLiga, with referee José Luis Munuera Montero of C. Andaluz leading the match.
In their training yesterday, Espanyol showed up with a partial squad. The players Andoni Gorosabel, Unai Núñez, Pere Milla and Jofre Carreras remained out of the squad due to adductor discomfort, although they were seen on the field of the Dani Jarque Sports City during the 15 minutes of practice open to the press. For their part, Llorenç Serred and José Ángel López, from the reserve team, did travel with the team. The coach did not rule out the possibility of rotating more players, but assured that “I am not going to do what I have done in other years of rotating many people,” citing the recent losses as a reason for reflection.
Espanyol's likely lineup includes Dmitrovic as goalkeeper, with José Ángel, Drkusic, Riedel and Hinojo in defense; Urko and Moscardo in midfield; and Calatrava, Bauza, Dolan and Marcos up front. At Sestao River, Iru is expected to play in goal, with Peral, Efremov, Ugarte and Rojo in defense, Castañeda and Delgado in midfield, and Castillo, Miguélez, Carrión and Zorrilla up front. The referee will be José Luis Munuera Montero, from C. Andaluz, and the match will take place at the Las Llanas stadium.
During his press conference, Manolo González emphasized the need to compete at a higher level. "You have to compete better than them. In their field they are a tough team, there are the results. Nowadays many coaches work well and this is the case," commented the coach, stressing that Espanyol must overcome the pressure of the first cup matches to avoid a third early KO that would mark an even more painful end to the season. With the cup at stake, the Barcelona city team seeks to redeem itself and show that it can overcome the obstacles that have dogged it this season.