Fertiberia Puerto Sagunto seek to secure survival in Cangas

This Saturday from 18:30, Fertiberia Puerto Sagunto face BM Cangas at their O’Gatañal home in the match opening Round 27 of the Bauhaus Asobal League

Nikola Milos’ team travelled on Thursday night after the afternoon training session so that they could reach Cangas and hold their final training session of the week on the court on Friday afternoon.

The red-and-white squad travel at full strength apart from the long-term absences of Sayad, Chueca and Berrios, and the omissions of youngsters Sarió and Piró. They intend to take the points that would put SD Teucro at an insurmountable distance and therefore secure survival in the Bauhaus Asobal League. It would be a seventh consecutive season in the top flight since winning promotion in the 2010–2011 season.

The squad are highly motivated, especially after their spectacular victory in Pamplona against the reigning Copa del Rey runners-up, Helvetia Anaitasuna, and the outstanding second half of the season the Valencians are producing under Nikola Milos. The away record of this revitalised Fertiberia gives grounds for hope of picking up points in Galicia, undoubtedly a difficult task on a court known to be one of the league’s toughest. Suffice it to say that, alongside three giants such as Barca, Naturhouse and León, only surprise package Aranda have managed a draw, while Ciudad Encantada achieved the feat of winning. The rest have been defeated. Nevertheless, historical statistics offer encouragement: Fertiberia Puerto Sagunto have won two of their three Asobal meetings at O’Gatañal, losing only last year by the narrowest margin, 27–26, in a thrilling match.

The Cangas side approach the match without objectives, as Europe became impossible following Helvetia’s qualification via the Copa del Rey, and they are of course safe after their spectacular first half of the season. This hypothetical relaxation is a double-edged sword, as Pillo’s team demonstrated in Puente Genil, where in the same circumstances they drew with an Andalusian team fighting for its life.

For this match, Pillo regains his central defensive player Fernando Eijo, making Cangas’ already robust defensive structure even stronger. He will still be without long-term absentees Alberto Casares and Alejandro Pombo.

In short, it is a crucial fixture for the red-and-whites, who do not want to wait any longer to offer survival to their supporters with the final sprint in the Bauhaus Asobal League approaching.

Translation produced using artificial intelligence.