A New Home for Real Zaragoza's Next Opponent
El Pozuelo Stadium is set to host Juventud de Torremolinos' first home game this weekend against Real Zaragoza, who travel to Andalusia in need of victories.
El Pozuelo Stadium is set to host Juventud de Torremolinos' first home game this weekend against Real Zaragoza, who travel to Andalusia in need of victories.
Real Zaragoza held another training session this Thursday at its Ciudad Deportiva, with the ball at the center of attention. Edu Espiau, scorer in the 1-0 win over Antequera, was the first absence of the week. He trained separately from the team as part of the season’s first instance of “workload management.” If that is the case, it is specialized work lasting one day, meaning he should return to normal training this Friday.
Away tickets are now on sale for the Juventud de Torremolinos–Real Zaragoza match. Blanquillos fans have already begun buying them for €20. They have been allocated the North Stand at El Pozuelo, with capacity for 123 supporters, out of the stadium’s 3,000 seats.
One of the key figures in Real Zaragoza’s 1-0 win over Antequera was goalkeeper Sem Westerveld. The Dutchman is now settled in the Aragonese capital and at the club he represents. “Real Zaragoza are much bigger than I expected,” he said.
Sem Westerveld’s arrival at Real Zaragoza has not been easy, but things are starting to fall into place thanks in part to goalkeeping coach Javi Roda. The goalkeeper said at a press conference on Wednesday that he is now fully settled. “The first weeks were tough, and now I’m happy,” he said.
After Real Zaragoza's first Primera RFEF win against Antequera, fans will have the chance to meet one of the victory's key contributors, Rubén Iranzo, who played the entire match, as well as Yussif Saidu, at a Meet & Greet this Wednesday at the club's official store on Calle Alfonso I.
After Ander Herrera's missed penalty, Real Zaragoza must decide who will take spot kicks. The current captain is not an expert, as he showed. Looking back, two players stand out for their perfect records in the second division with the club: Mario Soberón and Dani Gómez.
Real Zaragoza continues to invest in its academy by renewing goalkeeper Marcos Manolache for five seasons. The 18-year-old has signed a contract through 2031, with the club keen to secure his services. This season, he has been training with the first team as the club's third-choice goalkeeper.
Only the world's best players and coaches attend the Ballon d'Or gala organized by French magazine France Football, and former Real Zaragoza goalkeeper Yassine Bounou has become a regular at these events. The Moroccan goalkeeper has been among the nominees for the Yashin Trophy, awarded to the world's best goalkeeper, for several editions.
The RFEF announced the schedule for Matchday 6 of Primera Federación on Tuesday afternoon, meaning Real Zaragoza now knows when it will host C.D. Teruel at Ibercaja Estadio: the match will be played on Sunday, October 4, at 9:00 p.m.
After two days off following their first agonising Primera RFEF win against Antequera, Real Zaragoza returned to training on Tuesday to prepare for Sunday’s visit to El Pozuelo, one of the smallest and most challenging grounds in the division, where Juventud de Torremolinos play.
Real Zaragoza's first win of the season brought several positive developments, including Ibai Gómez's first victory as coach and Diego González's inclusion in the Primera RFEF Team of the Week for Matchday 2.
Real Zaragoza's first two matches have also surprised with their distribution of playing time. Several candidates for the starting lineup have been relegated to the background, while players who initially had chances of leaving have featured in almost every minute. The analysis is extensive.
The second Real Zaragoza academy graduate signed by Getafe this summer has now made his official debut. Iván Azón has played in La Liga after featuring in Getafe’s 1-1 draw with Celta Vigo.
Real Zaragoza's first win of the new Primera RFEF season had several protagonists. Among them was Ibai Gómez, whose halftime changes transformed a match in which his final substitute, Edu Espiau, scored the winning goal. As the club's social media channels shared, the Basque coach also delivered a powerful speech to his players moments before they took to the Ibercaja Estadio pitch.
Wilfrid Kaptoum is expected to be the beacon of Juventud de Torremolinos in Primera RFEF. The Andalusian side hosts Real Zaragoza this weekend on matchday three, with the Cameroon-born midfielder set to feature. He was once considered one of FC Barcelona’s great prospects and made his Champions League debut as a starter against Bayer Leverkusen. Leo Messi was also in the starting lineup that day, in a 1-1 draw.
The second matchday of Primera Federación ended on Sunday, with Real Zaragoza gaining some breathing room after an 'in extremis' win over Antequera (1-0), thanks to Edu Espiau's stoppage-time goal. The three points allowed the team to move clear of the relegation places, where it had appeared stuck since last season.
Real Zaragoza have Monday off and are due back in training on Tuesday to prepare for their first tricky away test of the season. This weekend, on Saturday at 4 p.m., they visit Juventud de Torremolinos, who are still waiting for their first win but become a dangerous side at home. Their stadium, El Pozuelo, holds barely 3,000 spectators, while their coach is a former Zaragoza player, César Arzo.
Real Zaragoza beat Antequera 1-0 thanks to standout performances from late arrivals Rubén Iranzo, Sangalli, Espiau and Diego González, who made the difference in the win.
Points, please. That is what Real Zaragoza fans need. Performances matter somewhat less, as does leaving Ibercaja Estadio with three points against Antequera this Saturday at 9:00 p.m.