Essential this season at Espanyol, in the Second Division, and usual during qualifying and also the first phase of the European, disputed in March, it was an open secret that Luis de la Fuente, coach of the Spanish Under-21, would summon Adrià Pedrosa and Javi Puado for the quarterfinals (and consequently possible semi-finals and final) of the continental tournament. Something more innovative has been the citation of Óscar Gil. Laterals and attacking parakeets will play on Monday 31 against Croatia in Maribor (Slovenia), so they will miss the last day of LaLiga Smartbank. Not in vain, they already fly in First.
Scandalous has been the course of Puado, who has participated in the 37 days in which it has been available for Vicente Moreno, except against Fuenlabrada, precisely because he had just landed after playing as a starter with the U-21 in the European league – against Slovenia, Italy and the Czech Republic. If he scored a goal with La Rojita, in the blue and white squad he has exploded. Has been seen directly involved in 20 goals, with 12 goals scored and eight assists. His 2,465 minutes in LaLiga are more than the sum of those he played between the 2018-19 season with Espanyol in Primera (348 ') and last season on loan at Real Zaragoza (1,696', with four goals and five assists).
Also Pedrosa has played more this season in Second, 2,666 minutes, than between the two previous years (759 'and 1,081', in chronological order), with 31 games as a starter, one goal and five assists, but above all a maturity that they only give the accumulation of encounters and the age (23 years old last week). Due to his position, the left-back has more competition in the National Team – De la Fuente usually proposes a left-handed lane with Juan Miranda (Betis) and Marc Cucurella (Getafe) -, despite which he started against the Czech Republic, in the last match of that first phase of the European played in March.
For its part, Óscar Gil has finished participating in 32 commitments, of which 22 as the starter and 2,065 minutes, distributed mainly between the month of December 2020 and since Miguelón Llambrich suffered his serious injury, in February, against Mallorca. He has also participated in the goal cake, with unot scored and three dealt, Y what he lacks is precisely his debut with the National Team, after having enjoyed a first experience last September – while still a player for Elche – when he was a substitute against North Macedonia in qualifying.
Óscar Gil, at Espanyol-Cartagena last Friday, May 14.
Joan M. Bascu (DIARIO AS)
Canteranos, young, solvent and international. It is clear that They have everything to remain indisputable –especially Pedrosa and Puado– next season with Espanyol, in his return to the highest category, although those same virtues make two of the soccer players with the biggest poster of the perica squad, and with the outcome of the European still ahead. For this reason, its continuity will depend in part on what the Blue and Whites want to be.
In addition to Gil, signed this course until 2024, Pedrosa has two years left on his contract, while the hot potato has the club with Puado, who is free in 2022 and has not signed his renewal for now, although Espanyol and the forward's agents will meet soon. They can be two of the protagonists of the summer. Or next season.