Vallecano v Ponferrada: 3 points, 2 old wounds, 1 missing pair
The Bercianos roll into Vallecas after a double over their hosts last season, with both sides shorn of a key man.
Vallecano against Ponferrada has become one of those fixtures where the form book means less than the memory. Last season, Los Bercianos did the double over their hosts, winning 3-1 at home and 3-1 away in the space of a week at the end of February and start of March. Those two results stuck in the craw of every Vallecano fan, and they will not need reminding when the teams meet again on 3 January.
The new year begins with a chance for Vallecano to set the record straight. But they will have to do it without Angelo Arts, whose torn hamstring robs them of a player who has been a driving force this season. Ponferrada, too, are missing a piece: Daan van Wanrooij is out with pulled ankle ligaments, and his absence will be felt in the middle of the park.
There is more to this than revenge. Vallecano have spent the autumn making themselves hard to beat at home, and a win here would keep them in the conversation for the European places. Ponferrada, for their part, arrive with ambitions of their own, and they will see this as a fixture they can win. They have done it before, after all.
The last time these two met at Vallecas was on 28 February, when Ponferrada left with a 3-1 win that felt more comfortable than the scoreline suggested. Vallecano had no answer that night, and the return fixture a week later was more of the same. The home fans will expect a different story this time.
Ponferrada’s recent activity in the market suggests they mean business. Last week they bid £12.6m for Cornel Drăgan, a move that has raised eyebrows across the division. Whether that deal gets over the line or not, it is a sign that the Bercianos are not here just to make up the numbers.
For Vallecano, the message is simple: beat Ponferrada, and the new year begins with a statement. Lose, and the ghosts of last season will linger a little longer. With both sides missing key men, the margin for error is thin. That is exactly how Vallecano like it.
Kick-off at Vallecas on 3 January, and the atmosphere will be fierce from the first whistle.