One of the keys to the excellent second round of Espanyol has undoubtedly consolidated a starting eleven. Manolo finally gave the key, found the players who give the team best performance and the fans have learned the eleven of run. Party after match, if there are no sanctions or injuries, the scheme has remained intact and the players of the game too. All except for a position: the right end. While the other ten are untouchable the right wing have been distributed between two youth players, Jofre and Antoniu. And the latter seems to have won the game.
Jofre has been and is an important player for Espanyol. In fact, he has participated in all League games except in one who was sanctioned. In the rest of the days he has always played. That is 33 meetings in which he has left the title in 24 of them, so the technician’s confidence is out of any doubt. But in the last dates, also coinciding with the excellent month of April of the team, Antoniu has stolen prominence. Of the last five Jofre games he has started in two (Getafe and Valencia) although against the Madrid people shared eleven with Antoniu. The absence of pided, sanctioned, opened the door to both shared equipment from the initial beep.
Antoniu’s path has been the inverse. In the first 15 days he only had minutes in fouralways at the end of the matches, and in small quantity. On several dates, in fact, he was not even summoned. But little by little, he took advantage of his opportunities, first from the bench and then as a starter, until he became a hole in the team. In total he has participated in 23 games, although in four of them he did not reach ten minutes played. A situation that has changed in recent times.
Antoniu, who has never completed an entire match, has started before Rayo, Celta, Getafe, Villarreal and Betis. These are five of the last six gamesso it can be said since ownership has been won. A ownership that however is not iron and that must continue working. This weekend, against Leganés, it is again the big doubt. With the absence of Omar by sanction and safe ownership of Tejero, the team needs an end that helps more in defense. And that may go against Antoniuwhich could leave Jofre again.
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