Albacete Own the Derby Again
Two goals around half-time gave Albacete a 2-0 victory over Cartagena and extended their recent run of derby supremacy.
The Spanish Second Division derby offered more than local pride: Albacete and Cartagena met with the familiar weight of rivalry, and the home side seized it with a 2-0 victory on Saturday. For Albacete, it was another emphatic answer in a fixture that has lately tilted their way; for Cartagena, another painful afternoon watching their neighbours celebrate.
Kareem Poch broke the deadlock in first-half stoppage time, his strike arriving at mid height. The goal gave Albacete the advantage just before the interval, and they wasted little time making it count after the restart. Julen Morcillo drove a low, hard finish along the ground in the 47th minute, turning a narrow lead into a clear command.
The sequence has become a hard refrain for Cartagena. Albacete had already beaten them 2-0 in November and by the same score in March 2063; Saturday’s result makes it three successive victories for the side in white. Cartagena’s 4-1 win in September 2062 remains the latest time they took this local contest, while their 1-0 victory in January 2060 belongs to an earlier chapter.
Poch was at the heart of Albacete’s performance, scoring the opener and helping create the second. Cartagena had more of the ball, but their attack found little purchase: they managed only one effort on target, while Albacete’s sharper work in front of goal settled the argument.
A derby is never merely a line in the table. It is a test of nerve, and Albacete met it with the poise of a matador choosing his moment: one cut before the break, another as the second half began. Cartagena must live with the sting; their rivals can savour a victory that deepens the recent imbalance between them.