The Eibar team has finally rediscovered the thrill of victory after a six-game drought and, more importantly, has rekindled its romance with set pieces. Sergio Cubero’s goal, which came off a corner kick expertly executed by Matheus Pereira, not only widened the score gap but also ended a four-month dry spell where the team failed to capitalize on strategic plays – a surprisingly long period for a team that dominated this aspect of the game in the previous season.
It’s been a while since Eibar last scored from a set piece, with the last instance being during their visit to Ipurua on October 12, when Bautista scored the only goal of the match from a corner kick, curiously also executed by Matheus. Few could have imagined that it would take until February for the team to score another set-piece goal, and under the guidance of a different coach, no less. This lack of productivity from set pieces has been a significant issue, especially considering the team’s struggles with creating scoring opportunities and finishing games strongly.
Challenges in generating gameplay
This season has been marked by Eibar’s inability to find their footing in terms of creating gameplay and finishing chances. Unfortunately, set pieces have not been the solution to their scoring woes; instead, they’ve become another area where the team has dropped more points than they’ve gained. The hope now is that Cubero’s goal will be a turning point, paving the way for more successes from set pieces in the future.
So far, Eibar has only managed to score four goals from set pieces throughout the entire season. This places them among the teams with the lowest number of set-piece goals, with only Cartagena, Albacete, Elche, and Racing de Ferrol faring worse. If we also consider goals scored from the penalty spot, the numbers become even more dismal, with the team having scored only one penalty goal. This would rank them as the second-worst team in the championship, ahead of only Racing de Ferrol. The team’s struggles with set pieces have been a significant hindrance, and it’s essential for them to improve in this area to turn their season around.
