The Real Zaragoza closes its preseason with a defeat. The errors in the exit of the ball and the imprecision in the last meters condemned an Aragonese team that went from more to less in a match that ended with a 2-1 victory for Numancia. Ibai Gómez’s team started with personality, taking the initiative and generating the best chances during a first half hour in which the whites found space and showed the ability to do damage. However, as the minutes went by, the team lost presence and ended up reaching the break behind on the scoreboard.
The second half followed a different dynamic, with Numancia more protagonist and Zaragoza who struggled to find continuity with the ball. The Aragonese team found themselves with the equalizer when they were having the worst time, with a goal from Rubén Díez, but they did not finish settling on the pitch. Thus, and in a new mistake at the start, the Soria team scored the winning goal in the final stretch of the match.
Ibai Gómez once again took advantage of the friendly to distribute minutes and give prominence to the players who had not participated in the friendly against Bilbao Athletic and to the academy players of the white entity. Among them was Javier Berdejo, who at only 16 years old and having the age of first year of youth, had his first minutes with the first team at the age of 16.
THE MATCH
As expected having played another game just 24 hours ago, Ibai Gómez offered a completely renewed eleven to the one he drew this past Friday against Bilbao Athletic. The white coach, who left out of the squad most of the starters who started against the Basque reserve team, established a 4-2-3-1 formed by Anartz Peña; Lalo, Saidu, Barrachina, Pereira; Rubén Díez, Tobajas; Vadillo, Pinilla, Hansson; and Edu Espiau.
With these protagonists and as had already happened in many stretches of the friendlies of the Aragonese team this preseason, it was the Real Zaragoza academy players who took the initial weight of the match. On the first occasion of the match, Tobajas stole a dangerous ball that after driving it to the edge of the area, gave way for Vadillo to connect with a shot that went wide.
Despite this, the next opportunity was again in the boots of Vadillo who connected with a shot that the Numancia goalkeeper rejected and that Espiau narrowly missed to catch the rebound. In this way, Ibai’s men carried practically all the danger of the duel and managed to connect in the three-quarter zone to add arrival after arrival. Precisely, after half an hour of play, Tobajas with an exquisite cross found Espiau who managed to head a ball that crashed into the crossbar of the Soria goal.
Despite this and as the end of the first half approached, Real Zaragoza, who were going from more to less, were diluted, losing possession of the ball and Numancia not reaching the area with such clarity. In fact, several white errors allowed the Soria team to add their first chances that would end up causing the first goal of the match. On the stroke of half-time and after a serious loss in Real Zaragoza’s ball exit, César Moreno connected with a powerful shot that beat Peña and slipped into the white goal to put Numancia ahead.
PART TWO
On returning from the dressing room, Barrachina and Vadillo gave their place to Jardí and a very young Javier Berdejo. The 16-year-old academy player, who is only 16 years old and is in his first year as a youth player, had his first minutes with the first team after having had a good pre-season with Deportivo Aragón and being one of the jewels of the Aragonese youth academy.
With these movements and unlike the first half, it was Numancia who came out more switched on. Firstly, Jorge Domínguez was about to double Soria’s lead after getting ahead of Pereira in a cross that he finished completely alone and crashed into the crossbar of Peña’s goal. And goal-wise, Moustapha, with a shot that went just wide of the post and a shot after a corner that hit the post, worried a Real Zaragoza that could not find a way into the opponent’s area.
Despite this and when it was at its worst, Real Zaragoza would manage to equalise. A flagrant mistake in the Numantine ball exit ended with the ball at the feet of Rubén Díez who, with a brilliant shot from outside from about 30 meters, put the ball into the goal of a Soria goalkeeper who was out of place.
Even so, and minutes after Jardí had a good chance to score the second, the errors in the exit of the ball condemned Real Zaragoza again. Another dangerous loss was taken advantage of by Iker León to, after dribbling past Berdejo, he did not forgive with a low shot that slipped into the white goal seven minutes from the end of a match where the scoreboard would not move any more.
