NEXT OPPONENT | Real Jaén, a lizard that has awakened from its slumber

After experiencing a déjà vu at Chapín and securing their first victory of the season, CD Estepona hosts Real Jaén this Sunday (7:30 pm), a match that seems key to reaffirming the resurgence of the red team.

Real Jaén has returned to the fourth tier of Spanish football—four seasons later—after a long stint wandering in the wilderness of the Tercera RFEF, a division that, given its history, stature, and city, is not its proper place. After several failed attempts in the always tough and much-maligned playoffs , the third time was the charm. Real Jaén was finally able to celebrate promotion, having eliminated CD Huétor Tajar in the quarterfinals, UD Torre del Mar in the semifinals, and Club Atlético Central in the final.

Adri Paz , Mario Martos or Curro Burgos are some of the fundamental pillars who, together with the coach from Andújar , Manolo Herrero , continue to lead a Jaén squad that will seek to establish itself in a category as complex as the Second RFEF .
To that end, the club has strengthened itself considerably in each of its lines, with players such as Rabanillo (SD Compostela), Jesús Del Amo (Tudelano), A. Pavón (At. Sanluqueño), A. Bernardo (UD Sanse), Sergio Rivera (Ciudad de Lucena), Manuel López (CD Torreperogil) and Pablo García (Unionistas), among others.

The last time these two teams met was in the 2020/21 season , in the now-defunct Tercera División . At that time, both sides were playing the tenth and final matchday of the Second Phase of the Third Division RFEF Relegation Playoffs . In a completely inconsequential match, Real Jaén took all three points from the Muñoz Pérez stadium, winning by a single goal (0-1) thanks to a lone strike from Álvaro Sánchez .

The Lizards thus face their third away game of the season. Their first was at the Francisco Artés Carrasco stadium, in an opening match where they could only manage a 0-0 draw against Lorca Deportiva . In their second away game, they managed to overcome all odds, defeating Atlético Antoniano 3-2 at the Municipal de Lebrija, one of the toughest grounds in Group IV.

From last season's 'Marchenazo' to this season's 'Castedinha' , both in the 93rd minute and in the same goal. The déjà vu experienced at Chapín has allowed CD Estepona to finally experience the past participle of winning. Now, it's time to confirm that victory against Real Jaén , maintain this positive momentum, and start making the Muñoz Pérez stadium what it was always meant to be: the sweet home of the red and whites.