Hidalgo drills Deportivo's defensive shape ahead of Castalia showdown
Deportivo's manager focuses on defensive organization as his side prepares to face high-flying Castellón in Segunda División's match of the weekend.
Deportivo La Coruña’s defensive record might look decent on paper, but Antonio Hidalgo knows the stats don’t tell the whole story ahead of Sunday’s massive clash with second-placed Castellón.
Defensive concerns
While Depor have conceded relatively few goals this season, they’ve been giving up far too many chances for comfort. The gaffer’s having none of it as they prepare to visit Castalia, with Hidalgo drilling the lads on defensive shape and organization all week.
It’s a proper six-pointer this one, with both sides boasting similar attacking records:
- Castellón: 42 goals scored, 25 conceded
- Deportivo: 40 goals scored, 27 conceded
No prizes for guessing why the boss is sweating the defensive details - Castellón are two points better off in the table and two goals better defensively. Margins, innit?
Noubi stepping up
One bright spot in Deportivo’s defensive unit has been Belgian centre-half Lucas Noubi, who’s coming on leaps and bounds with each appearance. The defender was absolutely mustard against Albacete, racking up 17 defensive actions including 11 clearances. Proper old-school defending, that.
Revenge mission
This fixture brings back some painful memories for Depor supporters. The reverse fixture at Riazor was a right shocker, with Castellón giving the home side a proper footballing lesson. Their vertical, attacking style carved through Deportivo like a hot knife through butter.
Pablo Hernández has his Castellón side playing some tasty football this term. They’ve maintained the attacking flair established under previous managers Schreuder and Plat, but have added defensive steel to their repertoire.
For Hidalgo’s men, this is a chance to show they’ve learned their lesson from that first meeting and prove they belong in the promotion conversation. Sort out that defensive shape, and they might just have half a chance.