UD Las Palmas arrives at the derby next Saturday (5:30 p.m.) at the Heliodoro Rodríguez López in their second bump of the season, more than in results, but also in play. They have not lost since last December 11, against Albacete in Gran Canaria, but in the last four days they have won one game and drawn three in which they had everything in their favor to win. The Second Division does not forgive and at the third notice it ceded the lead to Eibar, which has four consecutive wins.
The yellow box lived in first place for the last six days, since they beat Huesca in Siete Palmas (1-0). That day he took the place from the armored team and kept it with the local victories against Lugo (3-0) and Ponferradina (2-0), and the foreign draws against Burgos (0-0), Leganés (0- 0) and Andorra (0-0).
They lost their top privileged position after the 2-2 draw against Málaga CF last Saturday after wasting two advantages on the scoreboard. Thus, Xavi García Pimienta’s men will arrive next Saturday at the eternal rival’s field as second classified, one point behind Eibar.
García Pimienta’s team took first place with the victory against Huesca in January
The last yellow precedent as leader in Rodríguez López was not good. In the 2014-15 season, the team then led by Paco Herrera arrived at Heliodoro on matchday six after having achieved four victories and a draw, a record that kept them in first place, however, they succumbed to Álvaro Cervera’s team .
It was on September 28, 2014 when Tenerife beat Las Palmas 2-1 after coming back from an adverse result. The goal for UD was scored by Jerónimo Figueroa Momo shortly before the quarter hour of play, however, an own goal by Sergio Araujo in the 28th minute put the blue and white team into the game, which they would end up winning thanks to the target de Cristo Martín as soon as the second part begins. Somehow, Tenerife, whose maximum aspiration that course was salvation, annoyed its eternal rival.
That day Paco Herrera put on the following lineup, with Raúl Lizoain in goal; David Simón, Aythami, David García and Ángel López in defense; Javi Castellano, Roque Mesa and Hernán in midfield; and Nauzet Alemán Araujo and Momo up front. In the second part Christian Fernández, Vicente Gómez and Guzmán would enter.
In November 2014, Momo put UD ahead, but Cervera’s Tenerife came back
That campaign, despite the defeat at the Heliodoro –the penultimate one–, Las Palmas achieved its goal of promotion to the First Division. They did it by way of the playoff after eliminating Valladolid in the semifinals and Zaragoza in the final. Eight years later, García Pimienta’s UD fights for direct promotion, a zone in which he has been most of the season. At the moment he has lost the lead, but not second place.
As soon as the clash against Málaga finished and they left Gran Canaria, the derby mode was activated to leave the puncture behind as soon as possible against a team in the relegation zone. Both the squad and the coaching staff are confident that the wake-up call can serve as an impulse for the reaction, which will have to arrive in Tenerife, where it will not arrive as a leader. Maybe it’s better.
