Córdoba would not be the same if it did not suffer in the key games of the season. The return duel against Ponferradina was not going to be any less. They beat Ponferradina and are already two games away from returning to the Second Division. … A peaceful match in the first half, where El Arcángel (with 21,000 throats) scored the first goal in the first minutes. He pushed until the end and helped the team stay two steps away from going up to Second. Barcelona B awaits them in the final, which will be played in the coming weekends.
The game started long before the whistle started. The reception for the team at Gate 0 of El Arcángel was massive. Thousands of Cordoba residents crowded into the green-and-white fiefdom to wrap up their people upon their arrival at the temple. Already inside, you could breathe passion since the previous meeting. The anthem sounded louder than ever and the mosaic displayed by the fans, with the message ‘We are coming back’, put the icing on the cake of a special meeting. Córdoba will continue fighting for two more weeks to return to the desired silver category.
Iván Ania did not change his eleven one bit from the first leg. Matías Barboza repeated in the axis of the rear alongside Lapeña despite Martínez’s recovery. For his part, Casas was the team’s offensive reference. The Pichichi proved to be key for the team when he put his team ahead after five minutes. A great play by Ania’s team. He recovered Carracedo, who opened on the right for Kuki. The Spanish-Uruguayan took a pass out of his sleeve for Casas, who he controlled perfectly and finished in front of the goalkeeper to put his team ahead. (1-0, min. 5).
Every duel won by Córdoba enlivened the stadium. The atmosphere was First Division in El Arcángel. For Ponferradina, Yeray tried his luck with a shot that was stopped by Carlos Marín. Kuki also tried with a cross from the wing that Antonio Casas headed with difficulty to send the ball wide. ANDThe green and white dominance in the first section was clear. Even Adilson was encouraged by unchecking, but the action was invalidated due to offside. Ponferradina took a step forward to try to win the tie, but without much success in front of goal.
Córdoba touched the second goal with the tips of their fingers. A shot by Antonio Casas headed towards the goal, which Kuki Zalazar touched to send the ball into the back of the net. However, the playmaker was in an illegal position and the action was invalidated. Córdoba continued to insist that they looked for the second. Multiple arrivals by Ania’s team, who lowered the level in the last stretch and suffered (although not much) with Ponferradina’s corner kicks. Halftime arrived and Córdoba was still ahead in the game, and in the tie.
The second half didn’t start with much intensity. A free-kick shot by Kuki Zalazar, which crashed into the barrier. The first yellow card took a while to arrive, but it went to Adri Lapeña. With half an hour left, Córdoba was surprised by Ponferradina’s goal. Reluctantly, Borja Valle’s shot went in, also helped by Adilson’s poor clearance (1-1, min. 62). The Arcángel encouraged his team despite Ponferradina’s tie. The result was worth it to Córdoba. The intensity grew and Ponferradina pushed to get more into the game and force extra time.
Unexpected suffering
Córdoba needed fresh air and began to make changes. Antonio Casas and Kuki Zalazar (very active in the first half of the game) left so Kike Márquez and Alberto Toril came on. Córdoba suffered after a push by Ponferradina that only needed one goal. The green and white team tried to create danger on the wing. Adilson was able to finish a play, but he sent the ball high. Carracedo also tried with a cross, but there was no one to shoot. Ania’s team also tried their luck on the counterattack, but wasted the advantage.
The local team wanted to sleep the match and give freshness with the changes. Iván Ania renewed his wingers, removing Carracedo and Adilson so that Simo and Leiva entered, two key players in the final stretch of the game. Córdoba resisted the visitors’ push and reached a frenetic stoppage time. The referee added seven minutes, endless for some, in which everything happened.
First, Simo caused a penalty that Kike Márquez converted perfectly to seal the match and unleash madness in El Arcángel (2-1, min. 91). However, the party would not die there. The intensity grew to form a brawl in which Álvaro Leiva saw the red card for slapping a rival. The young player will miss the first leg against Barcelona B next week. The final whistle came with the relief of the green and white fans, who did not expect to suffer so much after a relatively placid first half.
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