Real Zaragoza’s visit in Primera RFEF gives many clubs the chance to fill their stadium because of what hosting a team of the Blanquillos’ stature means. Europa, their next opponent, has announced that tickets for Friday’s match at 9:15 p.m. have sold out, ensuring a full house at Can Dragó.
Real Zaragoza return to work ahead of another "trap" at C.E. Europa. This Friday's session focused on moving the ball quickly in tight spaces, a formula already used in weeks such as the one before the Juventud de Torremolinos match. Here, the ball was the central theme of the session led by Ibai Gómez.
Thirteen Real Zaragoza matches, including those already played and those scheduled, have been considered across all competitions. Ten of them have been or are due to be played between 9:00 and 9:30 p.m. The Blanquillos have effectively signed up for a full season of football at a time completely out of step with the sport, with at least their next five matches set to be played then.
After recovering at Paterna on Monday, Real Zaragoza began preparing for their next match at the Ciudad Deportiva on Tuesday. The Blanquillo side returned to training in an afternoon session at 5:30 p.m., with no injury scares. Vadillo, who continues to recover from a muscle injury, was the only absentee at the start of training.
Barcelona, Real Madrid, Athletic Club de Bilbao, Real Sociedad, Arenas de Guecho, Athletic (Atlético) de Madrid, Español (Espanyol), Europa, Real Unión and Racing de Santander were the teams that made up Spain’s inaugural First Division season in 1929. It was a group of historic clubs, some stripped of that status by modern football, and one of them is now set to face Real Zaragoza.
The RFEF officially announced the schedule for Matchday 12 on Monday afternoon, with Real Zaragoza set to visit one of the division's surprise teams, Real Jaén, at La Victoria. The match will be played on Saturday, November 14, at 9:00 p.m.
After two consecutive weeks playing away, Real Zaragoza face a third. Amid a pitch replacement at Ibercaja Estadio and a suspended drone show, the team travels to Valencia to train after Murcia.
Real Zaragoza has a short working week and begins preparing Tuesday for its match against Europa. The Catalan side, from Barcelona's Gracia neighborhood and forced to play at Can Dragó, is led by Gori Gracia. He is the team's creative hub and will face the club he once belonged to.
Real Zaragoza's 0-0 draw with Real Murcia at La Nueva Condomina has temporarily cost them top spot. Ibai Gómez's side are now second, with Villarreal B leading on the same 17 points thanks to a better goal difference. Everything is extremely tight.
Real Zaragoza took a point away from Murcia in an even match with few scoring chances. Just as the game appeared to be heading toward a winner, Ademo was sent off, forcing Ibai Gómez's side to play the final stages with 10 men.
Real Zaragoza suffer a second consecutive setback and lose top spot in their third-division group. The Aragonese side produced a poor performance at La Nueva Condomina, where the 0-0 scoreline remained unchanged from start to finish and the overall impression was a negative one. They created virtually no scoring chances, while promotion hopefuls Real Murcia hit the post in the final minute.
Real Zaragoza have been unable to claim all three points for the second consecutive week after another draw, but they remain “within their mini-targets.” Their coach, Ibai Gómez, said the team divides matches into blocks. If the Blanquillos continue this way after Sunday’s 0-0 draw, he believes direct promotion will be achieved “for sure.”
Real Murcia-Real Zaragoza is shaping up to be one of the biggest matches of the Primera RFEF season so far. In addition to what will be at stake on the pitch, more than 23,000 seats at the Enrique Roca Stadium in the Murcian capital have already been filled for Sunday's match (6:15 p.m.). Expectations are extremely high as the leaders visit the second-placed team, with top spot in Group II at stake.
First against second. Real Zaragoza visit Real Murcia this Sunday (18.105 hours) in the standout match of the eighth round of Primera RFEF. Both teams sit at the top of the table and share the same objective: securing three points to spend the night as leaders of Group II. The Estadio Enrique Roca in the Murcia capital is therefore preparing for a major football occasion, with more than 23,000 seats occupied and two historic clubs taking to the field.
Rain could play a key role in Sunday’s Real Murcia-Real Zaragoza match (6:15 p.m.). The eighth-round Primera RFEF fixture at Estadio Enrique Roca could be played amid extreme weather after Spain’s State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) warned of heavy rain in Murcia and surrounding areas over the weekend.
Ibai Gómez offered few clues at Friday's press conference, keeping both Real Zaragoza's lineup and system against Real Murcia on Sunday unclear.
Real Zaragoza are the division's clear favorites, and coach Ibai Gómez has not rejected that label ahead of their meeting with second-placed Real Murcia at La Nueva Condomina this Sunday at 6:15 p.m. They must accept the role of the team to beat “every weekend.”
There is no concern about the number of goals conceded by Real Zaragoza. At least, that is the message from coach Ibai Gómez, who considers the issue the result of two isolated matches. “We are the second team in the league to concede the fewest shots,” the coach said.
The most eagerly awaited Primera RFEF match this weekend will undoubtedly see Real Murcia face Real Zaragoza at the Enrique Roca. Real Murcia coach Sergi Guilló spoke ahead of the game, aware that it is a major clash between two teams fighting for promotion.
Ander Herrera has returned to Real Zaragoza late in his career to try to help the club return to professional football. Although the captain has missed four games due to physical problems, his importance is understood to be growing behind the scenes more than on the field. The academy graduate spoke about his career on Rio Ferdinand’s podcast, despite the pair not having crossed paths at Manchester United because the legendary defender left for QPR in 2014.
