Castellon
- Castellon have won three, drawn one and lost one of their last five matches.
- Friday’s LaLiga 2 matchup at the Estadio Castalia will be a chess match between two tactical coaches, Pablo Hernandez at Castellon and Igor Oca at Leganes, whose differing approaches are reflected in both clubs’ styles of play.
- Castellon are fourth in LaLiga 2, with 35 points from 21 games.
- They are playing some of their best soccer of the season right now, having just won a 4-1 home game against SD Huesca and a 0-0 away game at Granada, where their controlled, compact defensive setup allowed them to keep the home side at bay.
Leganes
- Leganes are undefeated in three and have won their last two games.
- Oca, who took over in December as caretaker coach, has made them more compact and conservative, which seems to suit them better than the high-pressing, high-risk style that Leganes used to play.
- They have won two games in a row, beating Albacete 3-1 away and thrashing Real Valladolid 3-0 at home.
- Leganes have won four, drawn five and lost only two of their 11 LaLiga 2 away games, showing they can travel well and suggesting they can stay tight against a well-drilled Castellon side.
Head-to-Head
The home team won the last head-to-head match 1-0 away at Leganes in LaLiga 2 three months ago .
Key Players
Millan’s ability to find and finish chances against the pressure of the clock and in tight spaces could be a weapon for Leganes, who average 1.27 goals scored and 0.91 goals conceded per away game in the division, so he looks a good anytime goal candidate.
Betting Insights
- The promotion hopefuls are backed to win this at 1.74 against an inconsistent Leganes side that are 12th in the table with 26 points from the same 21 games.
- Hernandez’s ability to switch things up in games and keep the tempo high or low as required has been a key factor in Castellon’s promotion charge and the Under 2.5 goals bet, priced at 2.0, could be the best play here.
Prediction
A recent head-to-head win and a desire for promotion should see the hosts edge a tight matchup, although the recent upturn in results and new-found solidity of Leganes suggests it may be closer than the table suggests.
