Real Zaragoza will face Cartagena this Sunday in their fourth match of the season without Ander Herrera. The midfielder has been left out of the squad for the game, which will be played at 8:30 p.m. at Ibercaja Stadium. Edu Espiau, Diego González and Rubén Iranzo are included, along with reserve-team player Jaime Tobajas.
Real Zaragoza secured a third consecutive victory by narrowly beating Cartagena 1-0, matching the result from their previous game at Ibercaja Estadio against Antequera.
Real Zaragoza have reached the upper reaches of the standings. They were welcomed there after a 1-0 victory over Cartagena at Ibercaja Estadio, with the visitors playing virtually the entire second half with 10 men. A goal from Jardí earned the Aragonese side three more points, allowing them to pass their first objective of the season with flying colors: reaching the upper part of the table.
Real Zaragoza secured a third consecutive win by beating Cartagena 1-0, moving closer to the top of the table and their crucial promotion goal. However, coach Ibai Gómez is calling for calm: “Praise must not weaken us,” he said after the match.
New year, new life. After relegation and a start in Primera RFEF in which it has taken the last six points available, Ibai Gómez’s revamped and rehabilitated Real Zaragoza wants to leave behind the negativity, poor form and pessimism of recent years and build an exciting, vibrant project capable of returning the club to professional football. To achieve that, as the Basque coach has admitted on numerous occasions, it is essential to turn Ibercaja Stadium into a fortress that helps the Aragonese club move closer to its promotion goal.
Real Zaragoza face Cartagena this weekend aiming for their third consecutive win of the season. That would make it three victories in four games and send a strong message in the standings. However, after the 3-4 win over Juventud de Torremolinos, there are issues to address. “I’m working on them, but I’m not worried. There are so many positives…” he said.
Real Zaragoza academy product Hugo Pinilla has slipped into a very secondary role. After emerging last season and prompting some optimism around the player, he has fallen behind. However, his coach, Ibai Gómez, is “delighted” with him and says it “bothers” him that he has yet to play any minutes.
The claim that Real Zaragoza are the competition's biggest threat follows both the Aragonese club and every opponent they face in Primera RFEF. But it does not affect Cartagena manager Iñigo Vélez in the slightest, as he made clear at the press conference ahead of Sunday's clash at Ibercaja Estadio (8:30 p.m.).
First indications of what Real Zaragoza coach Ibai Gómez is preparing for the match against Cartagena. A formation change is expected, possibly to a 4-3-3, as he has suggested. In the starting XI, “Jardí and ten more” are set to play. It has not yet been decided whether any player will be rested this Sunday at Ibercaja Estadio.
The RFEF has announced the schedule for Matchday 8 of Primera Federación, taking place from October 16 to 18. Real Zaragoza will face promotion hopefuls Real Murcia on October 18.
Real Zaragoza head into the fourth matchday of Primera RFEF aiming for a third consecutive win after beating Antequera (1-0) and Juventud de Torremolinos (3-4). This time, Cartagena will be the visitors at Ibercaja Estadio, making another victory crucial in the race for a promotion playoff spot, with nine of a possible 12 points secured.
Dani Gómez, Real Zaragoza's top scorer last season, has found a new club after leaving following the team's relegation to Primera RFEF. The forward has been announced by Japan's FC Tokyo, where he will wear the No. 99 shirt. The Japanese side is one of the J.League title contenders and sits fifth after seven matches, three points off the lead.
One of the key players in this new Real Zaragoza side is center-back Rubén Iranzo. The defender has become a starter almost immediately, something he has taken in stride. He has settled quickly in the Aragonese capital, and El Pilar—which he already knew as a child—has become a place of reference for him. He asks the Virgin for promotion, as he revealed in this interview with Aragón Digital.
Real Zaragoza can now boast their first MVP of the season. Catalan winger Jaume Jardí was named the standout player of the third round of Primera Federación this Thursday. The award highlights the spectacular performance he delivered in the Blanquillo side's win over Juventud de Torremolinos.
After having two referees make their Primera RFEF debuts, Real Zaragoza will be officiated this matchday by an official who knows Spain’s third tier inside out: David López Jiménez. The Catalan referee will make his season debut this Sunday as he begins his sixth campaign at Ibercaja Estadio, where the Aragonese side will face Cartagena at 8:30 p.m.
Although several months have passed and most competitions are already underway, several players from the Real Zaragoza squad that was relegated last season remain without a club. According to the renowned Transfermarkt website, three of them are among the 10 most valuable Spanish footballers currently unattached.
Everything continues normally at Real Zaragoza. There is no sign of physical problems in the squad. The players who picked up knocks against Juventud de Torremolinos — Ander Herrera, Diego González and Rubo Iranzo — also trained under coach Ibai Gómez on Thursday, as did Edu Espiau. If they continue this way, they will be included in the squad against Cartagena.
It has been a relatively calm week at Real Zaragoza. Two consecutive wins have brought a positive atmosphere to the dressing room and across the sporting side of the club. That does not change the fact that the Maño team must continue winning to pursue its goal of finishing top of Primera RFEF Group II. But that is the reality. “Everyone knows what they’re signing up for,” dressing-room spokesman Raúl Pereira said on Wednesday when asked about the pressure.
Real Zaragoza returned to training this Wednesday with no injured players. Santos Nagore, A.Gain’s leading figure, also attended the session.
Valencia are in a new crisis and, despite Tuesday’s win over Deportivo Alavés—their first in five matches—the Che side have four points and will return to the relegation zone when this round ends, regardless of the outcome, because Villarreal and Málaga face each other. The situation led to Carlos Corberán’s dismissal after the defeat in Seville, with former Real Zaragoza coach Javier Aguirre emerging as the leading candidate for the Valencia bench.
