The Tourmalet continues: next stop, Dicorpebal Logroño La Rioja

Fertiberia Puerto Sagunto face their second consecutive away fixture in the Liga Nexus Energía ASOBAL this weekend. They will visit Dicorpebal Logroño La Rioja on Saturday, from 20:00, at the Palacio de los Deportes, in a match corresponding to the competition’s fourth round.

The Puerto side head into the match after suffering defeats in their last two games: 24-27 against Fraikin BM Granollers at the Pabellón Port de Sagunt and 37-30 against Recoletas Salud Atlético Valladolid at the Polideportivo Huerta del Rey. The red-and-whites sit ninth in the regular-season league table with two points.

On the other side of the 40x20-metre court will be the Logroño team, who will enter the clash in excellent form. They are sixth with a total of four points. They come into the match after comfortable victories over Cajasol Sevilla BM Proin (27-33) and Viveros Herol Balonmano Nava (33-38), both away from home. On their return in front of their supporters, they will want to dedicate a victory to them, having hosted Barça in the opening round and lost 32-48.

This very week, they made their EHF European League debut. They did so by making a statement in Group G, in which they have been drawn, clearly overcoming (24-31) Macedonian side Eurofarm Pelister at the Boro Ćurlevskiun Sports Hall, a team that had competed in the EHF Champions League last season.

“We are facing one of the most difficult opponents in ASOBAL. They have just won in Europe in very convincing fashion. They have been developing their style of play for many years. We have to focus on our own game and, if we manage that, I am sure we can make things very difficult for them,” commented Sergio Mallo on the opponents’ level, without forgetting that of his own players.

Miguel Ángel Velasco remains in charge of the squad as head coach, a position he has held since the summer of 2018. Last season, ASOBAL selected him as the best coach in its All-Star team. He was joined by Álvaro Preciado as best centre-back, Xoan Ledo as best goalkeeper and Álvaro Martínez as best pivot. It was a 2025-2026 season in which they finished second with 43 points.

As for the summer arrivals and departures, the exits of Nemanja Pestic, Lusi Juárez, Josip Zaja, Andrej Pergel and David Cadarso were replaced by the arrivals of Nicolo D’Antino, Luka Jevtik, Samuel Saiz, “Tincho” Jung, Tomoki Ishida and Gustavo Oliveira.

The last meeting between the two clubs in the top flight of Spanish handball took place in February 2024, when the home side gave the Valencians no chance at any point during the sixty minutes, winning 38-27.

“We know that playing at their ground is difficult, but we are aware that we will have our chances and must know how to take them. As in Valladolid the other day, the fact that we will have the support of the Marea Rojiblanca in the stands will motivate us even more, if that is possible,” added Jorge Romanillos on the importance of the supporters in away fixtures too.

Puerto supporters wishing to follow the match broadcast from afar can do so via the league’s OTT platform, ASOBAL TV, using the following link:  www.streamwayplus.com/es/asobal-tv .

Translation produced using artificial intelligence.