A removable playmaker

Of Adrián Embarba, Óscar Melendo and Wu Lei to Nico Melamed, Javi Puado and Embarba. Going through Matías Vargas, Sergi Darder and the Chinese forward. Up to ten different combinations has been made by Vicente Moreno in the midfielder in the already completed first round, the positions that are suffering the most exchanges, mainly due to the will of the coach to rotate the players and align them according to the virtues of the rival.

The most repeated and that has given the best results is the one formed in six league matches between Embarba, Puado and Melendo. Three totally complementary players. The former Rayo player and captain acts on the right, although he is not by far a positional footballer, since he has the freedom to be able to join from the inside or change bands. That allows Melendo to be outlined towards his best side, the right, to go out to his natural leg and have a greater field of vision. Puado, who adapts to any position, also compensates for Embarba's freedom with his defensive sacrifice.

But Melendo has come up with a competitor again, small like him and raised in the Ciudad Deportiva. Nico Melamed emerged as a midfielder against Castellón with a magnificent result, more vertical and poignant, as he demonstrated in the 1-0 play. Accompanied by Embarba and Puado, this trident can become one of the most repeated options in the second round, given its performance and the growth of the two youth players.

Moreno has arranged other combinations to give minutes and room for players like Darder, Vargas and Wu Lei. The former has played with different teammates on the five occasions he has acted as a midfielder, which have not been the best matches for Espanyol, such as against Leganés. The Majorcan is more comfortable in the double pivot. Wu Lei is the natural replacement of RdT but before the accumulation of minutes of the Madrilenian has acted in the flanks. And Vargas also had his moments, although his performance has taken him out of the lineups lately.