Las Palmas face crucial Zubieta test with defensive crisis looming
With their first-choice centre-backs suspended and form dipping, Las Palmas head to Real Sociedad B desperate to stop the rot and silence growing doubts.
Las Palmas travel to Zubieta in desperate need of a result after their season has gone a bit Pete Tosh in recent weeks.
Defensive Headache
The Canary Islanders find themselves in a right pickle heading into this clash with Real Sociedad B, having suffered back-to-back defeats that have exposed some serious defensive frailties. To make matters worse, they’ll be without both first-choice centre-backs, Barcia and Mika Mármol, who are suspended for the match.
This leaves manager Luis García with a proper headache as he looks to patch up a backline that’s been leaking goals like a dodgy tap. He’s got two options on the table:
- Deploy Álex Suárez and Herzog as a makeshift centre-back pairing
- Shift Enrique Clemente into central defence and bring Cristian in at left-back
García’s keeping his cards close to his chest, stating: “I maintain doubts ahead of the match, but I’m very calm whatever we do.” Classic manager speak that, but you can sense the nerves bubbling under the surface.
Growing Doubts
It’s not just the defensive issues causing concern. Some of García’s recent decisions have raised eyebrows among the Las Palmas faithful:
- Leaving Jesé, the team’s most in-form striker, on the bench
- Substituting Jonathan Viera when he was the standout performer in their last match
These calls haven’t gone down well, and there’s a growing sense that García needs to turn things around sharpish before the pressure really mounts.
Positive Memories
If there’s one ray of sunshine for Las Palmas, it’s their recent record at Zubieta. Their last visit ended in a 1-0 victory, with none other than Jesé (yes, the same bloke now finding himself on the bench) scoring the winner.
There’s also the memorable 2-1 defeat in 2006 that felt like a victory, thanks to Nauzet Alemán’s last-gasp goal that sent Las Palmas into the playoff final.
But history counts for naff all right now. The immediate mission is crystal clear: stop the rot, rediscover their form, and silence the doubters before this blip becomes a full-blown crisis.