Hello everyone! Welcome to episode number 4 of this save with Barakaldo.
In this episode, we will be covering our next 5 matches in Primera Division and the third round of Copa Del Rey against Valencia
Game 15
Barakaldo 3 – Espanyol 3
A bittersweet taste in our mouth as the boys rallied back to take the lead in the game and Espanyol didn’t want to be denied and nicked a draw 6 minutes after we scored the 3-2. The change of Calle for Roberto Martinez seemed to invigorate the squad but Bestchastnykh made sure that feeling didn’t last for long.
Game 16
Celta 2 – Barakaldo 4
A very good brand of football in Balaídos saw us head into halftime with a two goal lead. Right from the locker room Roberto Martinez came out in full force and before reaching the first 10 minutes we were up 2-0. In the second half, Celta edged closer with Pier scoring another goal and I envisioned a worst case scenario in my head. However, the boys didn’t let me down, and Ipiña added a 4th goal to the tally and we closed the lid on the game.
Game 17
Barakaldo 2 – Oviedo 0
Lineup changes:
Pedro Arozarena for Antonio Pizo Gomez
Oscar Gurria for Jose Uribarrena
Oviedo are no threat to us and as a proof of that Mora is chosen as Man Of The Match due to our incessant hovering around his goal. Xabier Pantzeska scores a brace and Roberto Martinez in the second half finish off the job.
A few injuries along the way mean that we have to make changes for the match against Valencia:
Copa Del Rey Quarter Finals Leg 1
Lineup changes:
Gorka Sangroniz for Aitor Iru
Daniel Barroso Dani for Hector Victor Sanz
Dani Alonso for Gorka Gonzalez
Valencia 1 – Barakaldo 1
I had my doubts about this one, as you can’t deny the players quality in Valencia’s lineup. Surprisingly, we held our heads high and picked up a valuable result at Mestalla. Despite a calm attitude in the first half from our side, on the second one the boys came out with energy and we found a goal after a rebound from a Gurria’s shot which was parried by Zubizarreta and picked up by Roberto Martinez. Good feelings for leg 2.
Game 26
Merida 1 – Barakaldo 0
Lineup changes:
Iñaki Aldalur for Domingo Larrainzar
Oscar Alkorta for Asier Ipiña
Sketchy affair against the team lead by Jorge D’Alessandro, one of their defenders had a fantastic night and managed to clear the danger in the occasions we had. Onto the next one.
Game 27
Barakaldo 0 – Zaragoza 0
We were out of ideas in this game and both teams needed a few lessons in how to shoot onto a target I guess. 1 out of 6 for us, and 2 out of 11 for them tell the full story, huh? To make matters worse I was forced to retreat when Dadie got sent off, which meant subbing in Matxon for Gurria to cover the hole in the back and Raul Calle for Roberto Martinez (having a below par game). Big 0-0 and despite the yawns from our supporters, we’re running in the top 6 in Primera Division.
The rundown to our 2nd leg against Valencia couldn’t be worse as we have 3 people injured:
LOL! You just got injured Oscar, how can I play you if you’re injured? Sit tight, work on your recovery and we’ll talk again.
Copa Del Rey Quarter Finals Leg 2
Barakaldo 1 – Valencia 1 (lost on penalties 0-2)
Lineup changes:
Agustin Exposito for Xabier Pantzeska
Aitor Beguiristain for Oscar Alkorta
The crowd erupted into joy when in the 17th minute Dani Alonso scored the first goal of the match. Everything was looking neatly until we succumbed to Valencia’s pressure. Iñigo Idiakez punished us in the 52th minute of the game, and then we had to endure a gritty second half. Good thing we had Sangroniz on top form, as he was the key that kept us alive until the penalties. We were terrible in that stage and couldn’t score while Valencia managed to score two. Anyway, Sangroniz proved his worth when he stopped Fernando and Mendieta’s shots. The supporters were proud despite the elimination, and the team went into the locker room under a roar of applause. We meet Valencia again on Saturday.
Before wrapping up the episode, let’s take a quick look at the standings
Dropped down a little in these last few matches, but it’s a very good first half so far!
Now yes, we reached the end of episode number 4
Tune in next week for episode number 5 of this series. See ya 🙂
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