Card-fest in Cádiz sets relegation fight alight
And a 106th-minute penalty racked up the heat...
Getafe and Cádiz have met twice in the 2022-23 LaLiga season, and have shared the points between them. But that’s just about where the niceties end.
In 180 elongated minutes between 15th and 16th, 17 yellow cards have been brandished, with a further five dismissals – four of which falling in added on time. Isi Carcelén’s last night, in the 17th minute of stoppage time, best encapsulated the tetchiness of a desperate relegation brawl.
The visitors couldn’t seem to beat Jeremías Ledesma in the Cádiz goal, who made an astonishing seven saves in the opening 45 minutes to protect his side’s one goal advantage.
The game, however, ultimately came down to penalties, as two unstoppable Enes Ünal spot-kicks, either side of Rubén Alcaraz’s unnerving effort of his own, saw a hot-headed encounter boil down to a solitary point for each.
The result leaves a nervy weekend of LaLiga action ahead.
With just two points separating Espanyol in 13th from the relegation zone, Los Pericos travel to the Santiago Bernabéu to kick off proceedings this Saturday, in one of the most difficult must-wins that Diego Martínez could have wished for.
Just one point below them, Real Valladolid travel to bottom side Elche – who now have two wins on the board, after an incredible victory at Mallorca last weekend. Having beaten Villarreal, and going 2-0 up against Betis in front of their own fans – this one will not be straightforward for Pacheta’s men.
A win for the basement boys – who went their opening 19 without a victory –could ignite the faintest hopes of the most miraculous escape…
The huge games don’t stop there, as a steadier Celta welcome high-flying Rayo to Balaídos, while Valencia take on Osasuna, and Sevilla host Almería in a blockbuster Andalucían derby.
Almería still haven’t won away from home this season, taking just three of their 25 points on the road, while the hosts have won six of their seven games at the Sánchez Pizjuán in 2023, having gone eight without a win to start the campaign.
Whatever happens, something tells us that the cards in Cádiz won’t be the last this weekend.
It’s crunch time in LaLiga, and more teams than ever before are involved.