To find that meeting, we have to go back to October 1985, when Real Zaragoza and Teruel crossed paths in the second round of the Copa del Rey. It was a tie marked by a huge difference in divisions, with Real Zaragoza in the First Division and Teruel in the Third Division. The result reflected that disparity, as the tie was practically decided in the first leg, played at Pinilla, where the Zaragoza side won 1-5.
The second leg was played on October 23, 1985, at La Romareda and ended with another Blanquillo victory, this time by 3-0. The team managed by Luis Costa once again imposed its superiority to seal its passage to the next round with a convincing 8-1 aggregate win. That match also had the notable detail of being officiated by the controversial referee José María Enríquez Negreira, now known for having been vice president of the Technical Committee of Referees and for the case bearing his name in an investigation into payments made by FC Barcelona to companies linked to him while he held that position.
Former president Ángel Aznar with the Copa del Rey won in 1986. Photo: A.A. Archive
As for the match's goalscorers, Ayneto opened the scoring in the 47th minute, Conde extended the lead in the 62nd and Miguel Pardeza completed the 3-0 scoreline in the 85th minute. Also on the La Romareda pitch were some of the names who would define that period in the history of the Blanquillo club, including Andoni Cedrún, García Cortés, Juan Señor, Rubén Sosa, Juan Carlos and Güerri. In fact, that Real Zaragoza side would go on to win the Copa del Rey after defeating Barcelona 1-0 in the final at the Vicente Calderón, securing the club's third cup title.
A NEW REALITY
Now, 41 years later, the story has changed completely. Real Zaragoza and Teruel, who were accustomed to meeting in preseason friendlies, will face each other in an official match once again, but this time they will share the third tier and have three points at stake. Ibercaja Estadio will host the first league clash between the two sides, in a meeting that just a few years ago would have been difficult to imagine and that is now part of the new reality of Aragonese football.
Against this backdrop, the match will bring together two contrasting trends. While Real Zaragoza are flying, having won four games in a row and sitting second in the standings, Teruel have yet to taste victory this season and occupy second-to-last place with just two points to their name.
