Match Preview and analysis: Intercity (H)

It’s another early game for Castellón, as they return to Castalia to face mid-table Intercity, looking to extend their good run of form. The Albinegres have not lost a game since the opening day of the season, and boast a perfect home record of five wins out of five.

There are a number of teams in the division with an interesting backstory, and Intercity are another example. They the only team in Spain to be publicly traded, allowing anyone to buy shares in the team. Founded in 2017, they have an extremely short history, but have already made it to the Primera RFEF, after being promoted last year.

Their season has been mixed so far, with four wins, one draw and five losses, including a stalemate in their last outing against Logroñés. Castellon also drew their last game, a top-of-the-table clash away at Eldense.

Team news

Ruben Torrecilla announced in the pre-match press conference that everyone was available to play, giving him some tough decisions to make about who to include in the starting XI.

Intercity on the other hand will be missing their manager, who is suspended.

Opponent analysis

Intercity’s squad features a number of ex-Castellón players. Emilio Nsue played for Castellon back in 08/09, when they were in the Second Division. English football fans might also be familiar with him through his spells at Middlesbrough and Birmingham City, featuring for the former in the Premier League in 16/17. Cristian Herrera, Rafa Galvez and Guillem Jaime also featured at different points for the Orelluts, so it will be a reunion of sorts for many on Sunday.

With 15 goals conceded, Intercity have one of the league’s worst defences, and it’s not just from set pieces. It seems a number of their goals come from defensive misunderstandings, particularly as it relates to spacing and vertical positioning. Castellón should be able to exploit these weaknesses with the pace and ability of Fabricio, especially if he’s able to cut inside more often. Dani Romera playing in a more free role and not as a focal point could also cause the centre backs problems.

Despite their defensive frailties, their goal difference is positive, which means they also score a lot. In fact, only Castellón have scored more than them this season. Xemi Fernandez leads them in scoring with 5, however they have a number of goal threats. Centre back Vadik Murria is dangerous from corners, scoring a brace in their last win against Osasuna Promesas.

Manager comments

Ruben Torrecilla, CD Castellón: “It will be a tough game as they are on a bad run and are keen to make a change. They also have a number of players who will be keen to make a statement, having played for Castellon before. They have some good forwards, are effective from set pieces and we will need to be very focused.

Intercity’s squad is similar to Eldense’s in terms of players and budget. They want to be near the top of the table. When you look at their squad they have a lot of players who have experience playing in higher divisions.

We want to win and head into the two-week break with a positive feeling. The break comes at a good time so people can disconnect and recover, and we will do some more fun stuff next week, even though we won’t stop training.”