Rubén debuts at Espanyol 23-24

Nothing was missing. The regulatory kits, in the premiere of the new jerseys blue and white and red, the playing field in optimal conditions of the field 2 of the Dani Jarquethe stopwatches (although in parts of 30 minutes) and the referees: referee and line judges of the Catalan Federation. nothing except the rival, who was Espanyol himself, and obviously the absence of public. Except for the sound of the cicadas, due to the high temperatures that she recorded, this Saturday morning, the unusual football premiere of Espanyol 2023-24.

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• Spain

Why was the staff divided into two teams, one in blue and white and the other in red, still without numbers or sponsors prints, under the instructions of Luis García, the coach, located at the top of the turretand the watchful eye of the parakeet CEO, Mao Ye Wu, together with the sports director, Fran Garagarza, and the technical secretary, Ángel Catalina. The meeting, which lasted one hour, was resolved with a solitary goal by Rubén Sánchezfrom a relentless left-footed shot to beat Pacheco just before the break, in favor of the blue and white Espanyol.

All the homegrown players who have returned from loan participated, from a Pol Lozano that from the first day assumes enormous chevrons in the center of the field, to Dimata, Miguelón, Vadillo and Max Svensson. Also the majority of homegrown players who are accompanying the first team this preseason: Ángel Fortuño, Ian Forns, Joan Puig, Álvaro García, Gori Gracia, Jofre Carreras, Nabil Touaizi, Javi Hernández, Roger Martínez… Even omar el hilaliwho has just joined just five days after being proclaimed champion of Africa Sub-23 with Morocco.

And, of course, he also participated Sergi Darderon everyone’s lips due to the uncertainty about its future but committed as the mostas was verified in each of his ball handlings, in his filtered passes, some of which could end up in goal from Dimata or José Carlos Lazo. The one who did not play, as expected, is Nico Melamedwho has spent the week weighed down by discomfort in an ankle but who aims to be recovered for the stay of Marbella which starts next Tuesday.

In this first game of Espanyol 2023-24, the traces of that game that Luis García intends to play were guessed, with the release of the ball played, prominence of the touch players, but also verticality, transitions, taking advantage of the width of the field. Everything happened in the match, including a ball that hit the face of fortunowho was stunned and ended up recovering fortunately, and a minor traffic accident behind the pitchat the exit of the Ronda Litoral to Gran Vía, which luckily had no consequences either.