Match Preview and analysis: UE Cornellà (A)
After a confident 2-0 win last weekend against Athletic B, the Albinegres travel to Catalunya to face Cornellà at the RCDE stadium. The home side are also coming off a nice win against Atletico Baleares, so it will be a clash between two teams with a spring in their step.
Despite winning last weekend, Cornellà lost their first three games of the season, and so find themselves near the bottom of the table in 19th. Their losses came against Real Union (2-0), Osasuna B (3-1) and Sabadell (1-0). Needless to say the pressure is on them to get out of their difficult situation and avoid being drawn into a relegation battle so early in the season.
It’s also worth mentioning that as of this season onwards, Cornellà entered into a ground sharing agreement with RCD Espanyol, meaning that they will play their home games at the 40,000 capacity RCDE Stadium. The Cornellà municipality couldn't guarantee that their previous stadium would meet the standards of their division, which gives them the chance to play at brand new, UEFA Category 4 stadium. Castellón sold out their away ticket allocation, so it should be a great experience for Orellut fans who make the trip to Barcelona.
Team news
Castellón will have a shortage at centre back, with Yac Diori away on international duty and Oscar Gil suspended after his sending off last week. Ruben Torrecilla will have to build a slightly makeshift defence, and we’ll see if that also means a change in formation.
Raul Sanchez should also available after serving his suspension, but whether he gets back directly in the starting XI is uncertain after the team played so well last week. Bilal Kandoussi would be the man to make way.
Opponent analysis
Cornellà normally line up in a 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1 formation, which is interchangeable. They are a fast team in transition, which means Castellon should be careful with the ball in their own half, and ensure they don’t make risky passes too close to their goal.
Cornella also seem to be strong from set pieces. Both of their goals this season have come from corners, and it’s important Castellón made good clearances and don’t leave Cornellà any second chance opportunities in the box.
In terms of weaknesses to exploit, Cornellà are probably better defensively than you might think from their league position. They have only conceded three goals from open play, the others coming from penalties or free kicks. And the former seems to be something they have a problem with. They have already given away two penalties in four games this season, which might suggest a lack of defensive discipline from the Catalans.
Manager’s comments
Ruben Torrecilla, CD Castellón: “We can’t relax just because we have got seven points from nine. We have to continue showing the hunger and the enthusiasm from previous games and compete at 150%. It’s important to get back to back wins, but to do it we can’t get ahead of ourselves, be humble and not play arrogantly. It will be difficult and we need to play a complete game to bring back the points.
They [Cornellà] will be confident after winning their first game last week. They have a lot of options available to them as they can change formation easily. They started the season with one and last week changed to another one, so we have prepared ourselves this week to face both
At centre back, we also have the option to play Manu Sanchez, he played a few games there for Unionistas [not just Cristian Galas, who is the only available centre back in the squad alongside Iago Indias].
When I watched Pablo Hernandez play last year, I thought he was feeling under a lot of pressure and playing anxiously. This year I think we’ve managed to get him playing in a position where he feels comfortable, and he’s surrounded by players of a similar quality. He comes to training happy and he’s enjoying his football.”
