The playoff is coming, and it’s not just any. First, because very few ventured that UD Las Palmas will register its best historical record in the Second Division in the last 11 days –nine wins and two draws– to meet the objective of the season, something that some of the leaders did not even imagine when Girona stormed Gran Canaria in mid-March. But above all it is different because it faces the two Canarian teams for the first time in history, in a tie that will be resolved in four days, tonight (8:00 p.m., Movistar LaLiga) at the Heliodoro Rodríguez López and on Saturday at Siete Palmas.
And that is expected to be exciting, because the illusion is overflowing on both sides despite the fact that many would have preferred not to cross paths with the eternal rival, Due to the fear of losing, however, the derby was a quite feasible possibility depending on the tendencies of each one.
Xavi García Pimienta’s UD will strive to ensure that the way in which each one arrives in the fight for promotion serves as a reference; the Tenerife of Luis Miguel Ramis, in which the format of the crosses serves as a new starting point.
Because although Las Palmas comes from five consecutive wins, the most important against Real Oviedo, the Blue and Whites come after three consecutive defeats, although all of them came when they had the playoff in hand. However, the last one meant something that could be decisive: now the one that would come out favored from a draw at the conclusion of a hypothetical extension would be Las Palmas.
all ready
But first they must play two games, the first of them in a Rodríguez López that does not have a guaranteed full house. ANDhe Barcelona coach recovers Jesé for the appointment, absent on the last day due to a collarbone problem, so he will be able to line up his gala team, which will also be joined by the four footballers who rested three days ago in Gijón.
Thus, Valles will form in the goal; Lemos, Raúl Navas, Curbelo and Cardona in defense; Mfulu in midfield; Kirian and Jonathan Viera on the inside, Jesé and Moleiro on the flanks and Sadiku up front. Anything other than that formation will be a surprise.
On the opposite side, the coach from Tarragona also reserved several footballers last Sunday and also plans to bring out his typical team, with Elady and Mollejo at the ends, and Enric Gallego and Mario González at the point of attack, as major threats.
UD arrives at the event in their best form; the Blue and Whites only have nine wins at home
But the spotlights will point to a man, to the best player in the category, to the yellow captain, to Jonathan Viera. What happens in the derby will largely depend on what he is capable of doing, or what they let him do. The numbers say that Tenerife is the one that makes the most fouls and UD the one that receives the most, and there, in the opposing styles, lies another key: whoever imposes theirs will have a lot to gain.
The normal thing would be for the tie to be resolved in Gran Canaria, but this UD is unpredictable, capable of the best, especially lately, and also of the worst. He is looking for his second assault in five months at Heliodoro, where the rival has only won nine of his 21 games. But this is a derby, and the past is worthless. It keeps the entire Canary Islands in suspense.
Double with Mel in two months
The precedents this season between CD Tenerife and UD Las Palmas smile at the yellow team, since they won both games in the regular phase. It so happens that the coach at the time was Pepe Mel, dismissed just two days after winning at the Heliodoro Rodríguez López. In the first round match at the Gran Canaria Stadium, on October 16, 2021, UD won 2-1 thanks to goals from Jonathan Viera, in the first half, and Álvaro Lemos, in added time . Before, Elady had equalized in a direct free kick that deflected the barrier. Just over two months later, on January 2 of this year, Las Palmas stormed the Blue and White venue with a whiplash by Kirian from outside the area (0-1). Now, in the playoffs, Xavi García Pimienta, the new coach, seeks to emulate his predecessor. | FAQ