C.D. Leganés play their 20th game of the season this Sunday at 14:00 (CET) against S.D. Ponferradina at the Estadio Municipal Butarque. The Pepineros will finish another year of football at the Butarque against a Berciano side perched in second place.
The final home fixture of 2021 has arrived for Leganés. The Pepineros still have two games before the Christmas break, but both, as their previous matches, will be on the road, both their cup encounter in León on Wednesday at 19:30 (CET) and then in LaLiga against Málaga on Saturday at 16:00. But the best parting gift for the year would be to put the defeat in Girona to the side and collect all three points available at home.
Pepinero manager Mehdi Nafti will have to contend with numerous absences due to injury and suspension. Javi Hernández's yellow card accumulation keeps him unavailable on a one-match suspension, Fede Vico is similarly absent. Covid-19 positive tests have ruled out Rubén Pardo and Bustinza, while Recio and Sabin Merino could feature in Nafti's lineup. Luis Perea's involvement remains doubtful, but this weekend could see the returns of Bárcenas and Bautista after weeks of injury trouble.
S.D. Ponferradina, set on protecting second place
S.D. Ponferradina, second place in LaLiga SmartBank, travel down the table to reach the Butarque during one of their most successful stretches of the season so far. The Berciano squad come off the back of three consecutive wins against Real Sporting (4-1), U.D. Ibiza (0-1) and C.D. Mirandés (2-1) that have rocketed them into an automatic LaLiga Santander promotion spot; a position they no doubt will defend to the line against Leganés for a protential fourth straight league victory.
Coach Jon Pérez 'Bolo' will have his ace-in-the-hole, Yuri, included on Sunday, having just reachewd 100 club goals, as well as three faces familiar to the Blanquiazul crowd: centre midfielder Erik Morán and wingers José Naranjo and Dani Ojeda. The only doubtful choice for the trip to Madrid is left back Ríos Reina, whose injury has kept him from playing in previous weeks.
The match will be officiated by Canarian referee, Sr. D. Raúl Martín González Francés.
