C.D. Leganés host Real Valladolid this Sunday at 16:00 CEST at the Estadio Municipal Butarque, in what will be their tenth league fixture of the LaLiga SmartBank season. The pepineros will hope the home turf and crowd can help them back to victory, as they face a team with only one win on the road so far.
Leganés return to the Butarque after their visit to C.F. Fuenlabrada ended in defeat. This time, the pepineros are chasing their old form which had taken them to a three game unbeaten streak and 7 points out of a potential 9. Sunday's game could bring the blanquiazules their second home win of the season after their win over S.D. Amorebieta, especially since the last two encounters with Real Valladolid in the second division finished in favour of the pepineros.
For the pepinero manager, Asier Garitano, the biggest squad development ahead of the fixture will be the return of two internationals, Omeruo and Shibasaki, to club football, while Bárcenas' later arrival means questions remain over his match fitness. Other absences from the squad include Bustinza, Quintillà, Luis Perea, Avilés and Bautista.
Real Valladolid, an eye further up the table
Real Valladolid approach the game from a higher position on the table than the home side, with three wins, three draws and three defeats in the nine gameweeks of the campaign so far. The pucelanos have built a resilient side in recent weeks, without dropping points in three weeks though their last two matches have ended evenly (2-2 in Ponferrada and 1-1 in Zorrilla against Málaga C.F. most recently). No doubt chasing a return to LaLiga Santander football, another win would put them even closer to acheiving this objective.
The blanquivioleta side also has returning internationals ahead of the game, including Janko, Plata and Weissman, while they must still contend with the absences of Raúl Carnero, El Hacen, Hervías and Hugo Vallejo.
The match will be officiated by the Andalusian referee, Sr. D. Luis Mario Milla Alvéndiz.
