Fertiberia Puerto Sagunto approach their visit to the Cathedral with confidence

This Saturday from 5 pm, with Movistar + cameras broadcasting live, Fertberia Puerto Sagunto face Helvetia Anaitasuna at their Pamplona home.

Fertiberia Puerto Sagunto believe more in their project for this Liga Loterias Asobal with each passing day. After a faltering and uncertain August, each league match – seven so far – has provided a confidence boost, both in the defeats, only two of them, against Naturhouse at the Ovni and Sinfín by the narrowest of margins in Santander, and in the three draws, with the feeling that three points were lost in the closing stages, as well as in the two victories: one last Saturday at the Ovni against Puente Genil and the emphatic win in Cangas on their league debut.

The goalkeeping department, with David Bruixola in superb form, has the best figures of the season; the defence works like clockwork thanks to the strong defensive character of practically all the players coached by Nikola Milos; and the line that raised the most doubts when the summer squad was assembled – the attack – has developed into a team-oriented game featuring one reliable constant, Brazilian international pivot Alex Pozzer, and alternating scorers, with one or two back-court players always taking on the goalscoring role: Sorrentino today, Pacheco yesterday or Spiljak previously. The wizard Inestrosa’s playmaking, together with the experience and character of captain Ruben Ruiz Casanova, also make the attack function at a survival-level pace.

With that mindset, the squad is no longer afraid of anyone in this fiercely contested Asobal league, where second-placed Champions League side Naturhouse have already lost the same number of matches as the red-and-whites, only without drawing any.

Opposing them will be a Euroclub side, hosts Helvetia Anaitasuna, who are sixth with eight points, just one more than the Valencians, and following a similar trajectory in the league, although they have shown somewhat more inconsistency in their last two matches. They were held to a draw in Irun, as Fertiberia were, but achieved the feat of beating Ademar de León 27–22 in their most recent home match. The chances of victory for either side will depend on the performance of their goalkeeping department, which is less solid and consistent than the red-and-whites’.

Juanto Apezetxea has greater squad depth than the red-and-whites, with Oswaldo, Nadoveza and Aguirrezabalaga leading the scoring from the back court, well supported by wingers Chocarro and Extcheberria. The playmakers Mota and Balenciaga direct operations, with Ugarte scoring from the line. This Pamplona side has many more attacking options, but they also concede more goals: 184 compared with Fertiberia’s 176.

In short, it promises to be a very interesting duel, which Fertiberia approach having done their homework so far, and therefore with much to gain and little to lose. If that leads to complacency, it will be a problem; if it leads to calmness combined with intensity, it could mean an assault on the Navarrese cathedral.

For this match, Milos has 14 players available; only Berrios and the youngsters Chueca and Piró will not make the trip, which is scheduled to depart at 3.30 pm this Friday.

Translation produced using artificial intelligence.