MADRID, 11 Ago. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Levante and Huesca open the curtain this Friday (9:00 p.m.) in the 2022-23 SmartBank League with the intention of adding the first three points to get closer to the positions of privilege, an objective that will be shared by a large group of teams in the category silver of Spanish football.
In the Ciutat de Valencia, Levante returns to the Second Division after paying the penance of last year, almost always bottom. The Granotas will try to take flight and recover their status with the arrival of Mehdi Nafti as the new coach and the signings of Iborra, Rober Ibáñez, Wesly and Jony Montiel, formerly of Rayo.
Opposite will be a Huesca that finished very far from being with the best last year. The Aragonese -always in the orbit of the candidates- have been strongly reinforced and have Sandro Ramírez, formerly of Barça and Getafe, or Óscar Sielva, from Eibar, in addition to Juan Villar, from the promoted Almería.
In addition to Levante, the other two descendants –Alavés and Granada– begin their journey away from home. The Vitorians visit a Leganés that has changed owners, but not the squad, in a clash that will be repeated in Butarque on the first day after both clubs met in the 2017-18 campaign while in the Santander League.
For its part, Granada will try to give the first warning in its clear and determined commitment to Aitor Karanka, who already joined the team at the end of the previous campaign and was very close to being saved. The Peruvian Luis Abram returns to the Andalusian club and others have also arrived such as Melendo, from Espanyol, and Jonathan Silva, Cabaco or Ignasi Miquel, all of them from Getafe in a multiple operation after parting with Luis Milla, who has headed to the azulón club .
On the other hand, there are historic teams to take into account, such as Málaga, which has strengthened very well (Bustinza, Juanfran, Ramalho, Fran Sol, Reina) or Sporting, which faces the new season with Abelardo from start and having recently renewed Djuka, its great star and leading scorer.
In addition, Andorra will debut in the Second Division at the Carlos Tartiere, while Racing de Santander returns to the category in its feud against the Villarreal subsidiary, another recently promoted team. Albacete, who was the last to go up, will start the season at Anxo Carro de Lugo.
–FIRST DAY OF THE SMARTBANK LEAGUE.
-Friday the 12th.
Raise – Huesca 21.00.
-Saturday 13.
Eibar-Tenerife 5:00 p.m.
Mirandes – Sporting Gijon 19.00.
Leganes – Alaves 21.00.
Las Palmas – Real Zaragoza 11:00 p.m. (peninsular time).
-Domingo 14.
Racing de Santander – Villarreal ‘B’ 17.30.
Ibiza – Granada 19.30.
Burgos – Malaga 22.00.
-Monday 15.
Oviedo-Andorra 17.30.
Lugo – Albacete 19.30.
Cartagena – Ponferradina 22.00.