La Liga Preview: Sporting Gijón - Getafe

It’s going to be a packed house at El Molinón come Sunday night as Sporting open their Primera campaign with the visit of last seasons cup specialists Getafe. The Madrid side reached the final of the Copa Del Rey last season and the quarter finals of the UEFA Cup but their below par league performance will give hope to Sporting fans. The small side from Gijón just sneaked into the promotion places last season but with some wise summer spending and impressive pre-season results they will be more than ready for this encounter.

Indeed, if the form guide is anything to go by then Sporting have nothing to worry about. The newly promoted team have scored a hatful of goals during pre-season and not only did they draw with multiple Mexican league champions Cruz Azul and local neighbours Atlético Madrid but they also beat Italian giants AC Milan 2-0.

That result will give both the fans and the team confidence coming into the season and with a solid team and the same manager as last season there is real belief that they could be a surprise package this year. Coach Manuel Preciado Rebolledo has used the summer months wisely, adding to his ranks and not losing too many of his important players in the process.

Their biggest loss will undoubtedly be Roberto, their first choice goalkeeper who left for Osasuna after six years with the club. It remains to be seen who will replace him with both Sergio Sanchez and new signing Ivan Cuellar vying for the gloves.

Along with Cuellar Sporting have bought in two ex-Levante players in the form of Diego Camacho and Carmelo, Jurgen Colin from Ajax and former Betis player José Maldonado. Their combined experience could be key in pushing Sporting through the difficult patches they are likely to encounter in the season.

For Getafe it has been an eventful summer and with a few decent signings fans will be hopeful looking ahead. The most important of those signings is probably ex-Real Madrid striker Robert Soldado who new manager Victor Munoz will be relying on this season to score his sides goals. Munoz joins the club after a spell at Recreativo and whilst his arrival was not greeted with total jubilation it now seems that the fans are behind him for the campaign.

Certainly he has not done bad so far, making Esteban Granero’s loan deal from Real Madrid a permanent one and also snapping up Eugen Polanski and Joffre Guerrón. The only negatives have been the losses of another Real Madrid loanee Ruben De La Red and Pablo Hernandez, both of whom returned to their parent clubs after highly impressive seasons.

It is likely to be a cagey affair come Sunday night but one which both sides will be keen to win in order to get their campaign off to a good start. For Getafe it is vital that after their worst ever top flight league finish they bounce back and perform well across all fronts, either that or get their priorities sorted. As for Sporting, Rebolledo may well have marked out which home games he thinks are winnable and this would be one of them. Their opponents are likely to be strong but if they defend well and can grab a goal or two then there is a chance it could be a perfect start to the season for Los Gijones.


FORM GUIDE

Sporting Gijón

13 August - Pontevedra 0 Sporting Gijón 2

16 August – Sporting Gijón 2 Valladolid 2

18 August – Sporting Gijon 3 Atlético Madrid 3

19 August – Sporting Gijón 2 Cruz Azul 2

24 August - Sporting Gijón 2 Milan 0

Getafe

10 August – Cuijk 0 Getafe 8

15 August – Villarrobledo 0 Getafe 1

18 August – Rayo Vallecano 1 Getafe 1

20 August – Salamanca 1 Getafe 2

23 August – Getafe 3 Volendam 0


TEAM NEWS

Sporting Gijón

Manuel Preciado looks set to be able to choose his strongest XI for the season opener against Getafe, with the only slight worry been Diego Camacho in midfield. His presence is not certain due an injury picked up recently.

The main decision for the coach could well be deciding who starts in goal for the game, with both Sergio Sanchez and the newly arrived Ivan Cuellar competing for the spot.


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