Sporting aim for a “full house” at El Molinón vs Eldense

Sporting come into their fourth home match across the first five league rounds with a clear mandate: win and convince against Eldense and secure 10 points overall at this stage, which—according to Sport—would be one more than last season.

So far at El Molinón, Nicolás Larcamón’s side has already experienced every shade of the early campaign: a 1-0 win over Burgos, a 0-0 draw vs Sabadell, and a 0-2 loss to Girona. Larcamón, meanwhile, says the plan hasn’t changed much because he was satisfied with the way his team played against the Catalan side, even without the points—praising an intense, pressure-based approach that creates chances but has struggled a bit in front of goal (as Sport reports).

Tweaks up front

As Sport also notes, the coach feels the team is more settled in defending/containment than in finishing, so changes are being considered in attack. The starting XI for today may feature the first start for Alejo Sarco, paired with Juan Otero, while Gelabert would shift to the right. The rest of the lineup is expected to stay similar: Yáñez; Guille Rosas, Duñabeitia, Pablo Vázquez and Cuenca; Álex Corredera and Nacho Martín in midfield; and Iosifov on the left.

There’s also room for rotation: Antonio Casas and Jorge Sáenz are both available to play, though Larcamón doubts they will be able to handle full minutes (Sport). The coach wants attacking options from the bench if the first plan doesn’t work, which makes Casas a likely in-game substitute. Sport adds that Manu Rodríguez, recently sidelined, will be a late call after completing good training sessions.

Eldense’s resilience

Sporting’s opponent has yet to win in four matches, but has proven tough. After the 3-0 opening defeat away at Almería, Eldense drew 2-2 at home against Cádiz, then leaned further into defense with a narrow loss at Leganés (late goal conceded) and a 0-0 draw vs Mallorca at the Pepico Amat.

Sport also points out the off-pitch backdrop: Eldense have attracted attention due to an initial agreement around a potential sale involving Leo Messi, a process currently stalled by an injunction request tied to former owner Pascual Pérez. With Claudio Barragán replaced by his assistant Josep Ferrando, Sport includes Ferrando’s message ahead of the game: “We’re waiting, but focused on the match against Sporting, which is very important.”