RACING | LEIOA Mantilla, heart of a lion, and ten more against Leioa

There was a moment in the preseason in which Laredo believed it possible to get Racing to yield another season to Álvaro Mantilla, but Rozada, Amorrortu and Pedrín Menéndez agreed (then they still agreed) that the Camargue was ahead of Juan Gutiérrez and Goñi and should stay in the first team. They thought more of him as a right back than as a centralThe truth, but they believed in his physical power, his speed and his versatility. And that in the first league game, made a flan, was fatal against Portugalete, collaborated with Iván Crespo in the goal of the Portuguese and left the team for a month and a half. Did not give up, not even the recurrent subluxations of his left shoulder, which he has known since November will make him undergo surgery. Today, for Solabarrieta, who wants an aggressive and advanced defense, Racing are Mantilla and ten others. What he lacks in his shoulder, he has more than enough in his heart.

With Matic injured, Gil sanctioned, Figueras fired and a reinforcement for signing, everything indicates that Villapalos will be Maliaño’s dance partner in the center of defense. The Madrilenian has played many games for Atlético Baleares in that position, for example in which Racing was promoted in Son Malferit, and His two best matches for Verdiblanco, the first, the friendlies against Bilbao Athletic and Sporting B, he has also played there. The problem is that his characteristics are those of Figueras, contraindicated to throw the defense in the center of the field, which is what the Ondarroa coach seems to have designed in his head. Isma López, on the left side, is the one with the most chances of the three new ones to enter the starting eleven.

The 4-2-3-1 seems to have come to stay after seeing the improvement that the team experienced with the ball against Alavés B, with Riki filling up very well with the three quarters, which gave air to Soko, each day better at the far right, and to Pablo Torre, who for the first time in two months seemed to enjoy the ball in Ibaia. Two Álvaros, Cejudo and Traver, dispute the left part of the attack. Both are right-handed, with a tendency to go inside and open a runway for Isma López in that lane. We will have to see if the physicist gives the Navarrese 90 ‘, who has not played a game for two months.

Racing is the clear favorite to beat Leioa, who away from home has some terrifying numbers: one draw and five losses, with one goal in favor and ten against. It also arrives in Santander after having left 13 of its players on Thursday ten days of coronavirus confinement, and with four significant casualties: his center forward Pradera (a more damaging nuisance at home than outside) and the three full-backs used by Iker Bilbao, Aguirrezabala, Morcillo and Marcé. Of course, the Leioatarras can cling to the irrefutable fact that their only victory was achieved, precisely, against Racing.

With El Sardinero again empty by the current regulations in Cantabria in the fight against COVID-19, Racing, which now receives Leioa and Laredo in a row, needs to start to get stronger at home, two defeats, two draws and two wins so far, if it wants to have any chance of getting a comeback that leads him to finish the first phase in the top three, which would allow him, in one stroke, to be able to fight for promotion and, in case of not achieving it, ensure their presence in the 1st RFEF for the next season. Right now racinguismo would sign it, which is in that phase in which any fireplace seems like a factory.