Deportivo Alavés Gloriosas don start dia return to elite women football with better vibes. After three matches for Liga F, dem don gather six points from nine, and dat one put dem for comfortable seventh position for table. Andrea Esteban side win dia two home games for Mendizorroza against Valencia and Granada. Dia only loss come for second matchday for Atlético de Madrid ground, one of strong teams for league.
But if one team dey dominate women football for Spain and maybe world, na Barcelona. Gloriosas go host Barcelona dis Friday from 18:00. For other Liga F clubs, match against Barcelona be like visit to dentist, even for strong ones. Catalan club don invest well well for women structure for years, and dem get some of best footballers for world.
Aitana Bonmatí, wey dem recognise as best for last Ballon d'Or gala, no go play. She still dey recover from injury for peroné and left ankle, so she no fit join her teammates for now. Even with that, match still get attractions. People wey go Mendizorroza go see players like Cata Coll, Patri Guijarro, Claudia Pina and Vicky López, wey help Spain national team win recent big titles, plus other stars like goalscorers Caroline Graham Hansen and Ewa Barbara Pajor.
For Barcelona, Liga F match often mean goleada. Alavés go need complete perfect game and take every drop of energy from albiazul fans if dem want chance to collect points. Team wey Pere Romeu dey coach beat Tenerife 5-0 for first matchday, Sevilla 0-4 for second, and last time Atlético de Madrid give small drama when dem lead, but Barcelona still win 4-2. Last time dem meet, last season for Copa, Alavés show face for first 45 minutes wey end 1-2, but after break dem fall for final 1-6.
Now, after summer reinforcements, with high morale and same category, dem go try surprise the big ogre of category. Andrea Esteban face challenge with conviction say first step na no renounce match before dem play am. The albiazul coach admit say this week tough specially to pass plan to her players against rival of that size, but she talk say team come with hunger to compete and intention to squeeze maximum from resources. ‘I think we must hold on to that, that we go get capacity to compete and face am in any context,’ she talk.
Strategy na to turn Mendizorroza into uncomfortable place for Barcelona. Esteban accept say azulgranas go get plenty ball and force Alavés to defend near dia area, but she trust one virtue of her team: transitions. ‘For me, especially, make dem feel say today no be dia day from start,’ coach explain. She want Catalan side to leave dia comfort zone. Objective go be to play match in phases, with ‘mini matches inside match’, to stay alive as long as possible.
Good start of Gloriosas allow dem face challenge from different view. Six points against Valencia and Granada, plus tight loss to Atlético, don give team feeling say dem belong fully to Liga F. ‘We don get feeling say we be team of this category, say we no be newly promoted,’ Esteban talk. She believe growth must continue through season.
