Fertiberia Puerto Sagunto will play EÓN Horneo Alicante on Saturday

Fertiberia Balonmano Puerto Sagunto will play EÓN Horneo Alicante on Saturday, 1 March, from 18:30, against EÓN Horneo Alicante in another Valencian Community derby. The match, corresponding to Matchday 23 of the División de Honor Plata, will take place at the Port de Sagunt Municipal Pavilion, and the team approaches it wanting to ‘rediscover their feel and play good handball’, as Toni Malla explains.

The red-and-white coach states that ‘after two weeks in which we have not made a good impression in the matches we have played, I think the priority this week is to put in a good performance, come out stronger, and, if possible, add points. We have to focus on playing good handball again, specifically in attack. We need to take another step forward’.

They will face an opponent who, according to Toni, ‘is the favourite in the division; we already know what kind of team it is and what squad it has. It has quality players in every position, a defence that is not the best in the division but is uncomfortable to play against, with many attacking exits and numerous uneven combinations, and they try to make you shoot where they want. Offensively, it is one of the league’s highest-scoring teams, with huge resources and players who have scored more than 100 goals’.

‘It will be difficult, but what we have been working on these days is that we must play without the pressure of having to win the two points to get into the promotion places. Our focus must always be playing good handball. I think we are working on that: rediscovering our feel and restoring the players’ confidence mentally. We have recently had physical problems with some players, but nothing that other teams do not have’,adds Malla.

‘On Saturday we have to go out and enjoy the match, play good handball, and I think that if we do it as we have shown on other occasions that we know how to do, we will be close to winning. I hope people come, enjoy the derby and help us win another home match’, concludes the red-and-white coach.

Translation produced using artificial intelligence.