The third time was the charm. Sporting met again with the victory against Ibiza after two consecutive defeats. It was thanks to his success from set pieces and the last minute push from VAR. Insua put the rojiblancos ahead after four minutes and Ekain equalized before the break. Otero, finishing off a lateral free kick, ended up deciding for the people from Gijon before a heart-stopping finish. Galech Apezteguía invalidated a penalty signaled in the discount at the hands of Zarfino, when he was required to review the action. The three points are a relief, although the doubts in the game remain unanswered.
The absence of the internationals Djuka and Gragera forced new things. The most striking, seeing Juan Otero behind Christ to form the lead. The goal did not come there. He did it, once again, from set pieces. Thanks to this, Sporting began to lead the scoreboard after four minutes. Pedro, in a centered free kick, sought the entry of Izquierdoz, who combed the opposite post to find the arrival of his teammate in defense. Insua pushed with his right. The match could not have started better.
The first minutes showed a Sporting that wanted the ball and an Ibiza that was looking for inside passes in search of Azeez and, mainly, Appin. Abelardo’s men seemed to be in control and even added a couple more chances. First in an Otero boarding school that Cristo did not connect in a small area. Then in a good ball filtered by Cristo to Aitor’s run, Fuzato, visiting goalkeeper, anticipating to avoid the second. Only a couple of oversights by Pedro Díaz and Izquierdoz, by missing the pass, made Ibiza come closer. Sporting saw him so controlled that he fell into his own trap.
Ibiza began to come out comfortable from the red and white forward pressure and took over the center of the field, doing more and more damage on those inside balls behind Pedro and Zarfino. The tie came in one of those actions, also being the visitors’ first shot between the sticks. Appin ended up winning the right flank to cross over Ekain’s run to the near post. The struggle to finish off left Insua on the ground and the ball, slipping through the post defended by Mariño. Punishment to the braking of a diminishing Sporting.
Not even the half-time light show illuminated a dull Sporting at the start of the second half. So much so that the continuous losses raised a whistle in El Molinón. The next thing was to see Christ initiate a counterattack in which he did everything well except the auction. And from the Ibiza area, to the Sporting area, with Herrera about to connect with a heel in a small area a ball that was more than half a goal. Everything open and the fear of losing, increasingly present in the atmosphere of the Gijon municipal.
Sporting was then lucky to strike first. And the goal was born, of course, from a set piece. Pedro took a lateral foul committed on Aitor, who seconds before had put another ball on the small area that could not find anyone to push it. The rojiblancos benefited from the rebounds so that Zarfino ended up directing the ball to Otero’s position. The Colombian, with his toe, touched just enough for the ball to hit the inside of the crossbar and put the Gijons ahead again. Breath, Nacho Méndez to the green for Queipo, and Otero returned to the left-handed lane, to leave the company of Cristo up front to Zarfino.
Nolito, a brand new summer signing from Ibiza, came to the rescue to scramble down the visiting left wing, but the following dangerous actions were red and white. Cristo asked for a penalty when he fell in the area when he was left alone in front of the goalkeeper and Aitor touched the third with a dry shot, stuck to the stem of the post, which Fuzato deflected for a corner. The corner kick was seen by all of El Molinón except for Galech Apezteguía. Pol Valentín then replaced Gibraleón. The occasions did not prevent Sporting from continuing to tremble in defense.
Three changes in one fell swoop gave some oxygen to a fair Sporting. So much so that he was millimeters away from conceding a draw. With the regulation time completed, the referee signaled a penalty at the hands of Zarfino to Ibiza’s shot. The Uruguayan, in full movement to pick up his arm, could not avoid contact. When Sporting was already throwing his hands to his head for another victory that was slipping away, the VAR called the Navarrese referee to leave the action without punishment. There were four added minutes, extended to seven. Without scares, but with suffering. On what would have been Quini’s 73rd birthday, Sporting were able to give Brujo three hard-pressed points.
