Puente Genil: the match where the margin could change hands

Manolo's first day on the bench was against Salerm. At the Francisco Muñoz Pérez stadium. CD Estepona 1-2 Salerm Puente Genil. Roi Tato put the Rojillos ahead. Alan equalized from the penalty spot just before halftime. Tommy Montenegro scored the winner in the 90th minute.

That day, the team had only had a few days of training. Ten games have passed since then. And the context is no longer the same. Image: CD Estepona | Santiago Díaz ## What has happened since December 14 Since that first game, CD Estepona has had the following results:

• 1-2 vs Salerm • 1-1 vs Almería B • 0-3 at La Unión • 0-0 vs Deportiva Minera • 5-0 in Huelva • 3-1 vs Atlético Malagueño • 0-0 in Jaén • 0-0 vs Xerez CD • 1-2 at Antoniano
• 2-0 vs. UCAM 16 points in 10 games. No goals conceded. Away wins. Victory against the second-placed team. The team no longer competes as it did on that day. Now there is structure. There is a pattern. There is a recognizable identity. And that changes the dimension of the reunion.

What Salerm brings to Sunday Álvaro Cejudo's team has two very clear profiles. Away from home: • Almería B 2-1 Salerm • Melilla 1-0 Salerm • Extremadura 3-1 Salerm

Five consecutive away defeats. They struggle when the pace picks up. They struggle when they concede first. At the Manuel Polinario: • 1-1 against Xerez Deportivo • 2-1 against Antoniano They compete better at home. They are direct. They persistently look for crosses from the wings and the far post.
Alan Araiza and Tommy Montenegro are its main offensive references. It is not an exuberant team. But it is uncomfortable. ## The standings, beyond the numbers Today the table says: 12th – FC La Unión Atlético – 30 pts (23 games)
13th – Salerm Puente Genil – 29 pts (24 games) 14th – Xerez Deportivo – 27 pts (24 games) 15th – UD Melilla – 25 pts (23 games) 16th – CD Estepona – 23 pts (24 games)

Six points to the playout. Seven to direct salvation. But the deeper reading is different. If Estepona wins on Sunday: 26 points. And Salerm stays at 29.

Three points difference. In the most demanding scenario possible—assuming that Xerez, Melilla, and La Unión also win—automatic survival would be four points away. The playout, three. It's not just about adding three. It's about preventing your direct rival from adding them.

That's why people are talking about a six-point game. Because the margin isn't just getting smaller. It's being redistributed. ## The detail that makes it even more strategic On Sunday, we're not playing blind. We're playing with information. At 12:00: UCAM Murcia – UD Melilla
Atlético Antoniano – Xerez Deportivo At 12:30 p.m.: FC La Unión Atlético – Almería B When CD Estepona takes the field at 5:00 p.m. at Manuel Polinario, they will already know what everyone else has done.

If the teams below have won, the match becomes an obligation to prevent them from pulling away. If they have slipped up, it becomes an opportunity to strike a real blow. There will be no uncertainty. The scenario will be clear. And that adds a decisive mental dimension. ## What is really at stake There are 30 points left.

It's not a final. But it is a match that can change the angle of the fight. Because in addition to adding three points: • You cut three points. • You compress the table. • You activate direct pressure. • You reinforce the dynamic. And you do it away, against the same rival with whom this stage began.

The competitive circle is closing. And now the context is different. ## Choosing to BELIEVE... even away from home Two full buses. A third on the way. Tickets at €12 for those traveling on their own. The team will not be going alone.

Two weeks ago, the gap was twelve points. Today it's seven. On Sunday it could be three. It's not euphoria. It's mathematics sustained by momentum. Puente Genil doesn't decide the season. But it can decide the margin. And when the margin changes hands, the season changes.