Mirandés and Leganés Clash in Key Match at Mendizorroza

Vitoria, Spain — Mirandés and Leganés kick off the Saturday fixtures in the second division at Mendizorroza Stadium. Both teams have had similar starts this season, showing strength on the road with a combined total of eight points, but struggling to secure a win at home.

This match marks Mirandés’ fourth attempt to secure their first home victory, as they face a daunting record of three consecutive losses. The team, under coach Fran Justo, has scored just one goal while conceding seven, with five of those goals coming from Deportivo de la Coruña alone. The players and coaching staff hope today’s match will be a turning point for their home performances.

Justo will need to make an enforced change in goal as Igor Nikic is on international duty with Montenegro. Juanpa will step in as goalkeeper, returning to the lineup after playing in Albacete. The defensive lineup will remain the same, given their strong showing in the last match, including left-back Pablo Pérez. The attack, however, has some uncertainty, as good performances in recent games may influence Justo’s starting choices.

Leganés enters the match with a nostalgic expectation, as playing against Mirandés always stirs memories of their first promotion to the top division nearly a decade ago. Head coach Garitano’s squad spent the night prior in Vitoria, hoping to replicate their past successes.

Optimism surrounds Leganés as they have garnered 8 out of 12 points in away games, though they have struggled to secure points at home, earning just 2 out of a possible 12. “Consistency is what we are missing,” said Paco López before the match, acknowledging the pressure from club management to achieve promotion.

Despite this, López has seen positive developments on the field outside of a match against Castellón. He emphasizes that the team maintains an aggressive style focused on high-pressure and high tempo. However, they have faced challenges in second halves, allowing all their conceded goals during that period, primarily due to defensive lapses. For today, they face an additional challenge with injuries to key players Jorge Sáenz and Lalo, raising questions about whether López will maintain a five-man defensive line.

The presence of players like Figueredo and Rubén Peña may help bolster the defense while allowing Duk to continue attacking, as he has shown promise in previous fixtures. Another question mark for the starting lineup is how López will replace Cissé, who is also representing Guinea today. Melero is expected to step into the starting position.