CD Teruel open the league with a gritty point against Real Madrid Castilla (0-0)

CD Teruel showed in their league debut that they will be a very hard team to beat. Kiko Ramírez's side produced an impeccable defensive display against Real Madrid Castilla and earned a valuable point at Pinilla (0-0) against one of the promotion favourites. Amador Zarco was the star of the match: he saved a penalty in the first half and, late on, made a stunning save from Yáñez's strike.

The rojillo coach set up a 4-3-3 with a packed, compact midfield to disrupt the madridista reserve side's interior play — which featured Aragonese midfielder Jorge Cestero, a Real Zaragoza academy product — switching to a back three in the defensive phase for extra solidity.

Teruel started at a very high tempo with direct play to catch Castilla on transitions. The visitors then took control of possession, but the first big chance was rojilla: on 17 minutes the team even celebrated a set-piece goal, disallowed after an FVS review showed the ball had crossed the byline on the corner delivery that Albisua headed home.

Gallardo and Sergio Moreno combined well between the lines, and Sesé went close with an effort that brushed the crossbar. Five minutes before the break, a cross struck Pablo Felipe's arm and the referee pointed to the spot, but Zarco guessed Fettal's intentions with a superb save to reach half-time level.

Second half

The defensive plan kept working perfectly after the restart: the compact rojillo block conceded very little in front of Zarco's goal while the game settled into a script that suited Teruel. Castilla pushed higher as the minutes passed and Relu produced a providential block on 75 minutes to stop Leiva, the visitors' most incisive player.

Close to stoppage time, Dani Yáñez went near with a strike from the edge of the box that Zarco tipped away with an incredible right hand to keep his clean sheet. Belevonis's sending-off in the 90th minute made the final stretch even harder, but the team defended the result tooth and nail to secure their first point of the season, celebrated with the Pinilla crowd.

Line-ups

CD Teruel: Zarco; Joserra, Pablo Felipe, Álvaro López, Lluís Llácer; Romera (Redón, 61'), Relu, Albisua; Mario Sesé (Belevonis, 72'), Edu Gallardo (Goyo Medina, 72') and Sergio Moreno (Moraitis, 61').

Real Madrid Castilla: Mestre; Fortea, Naasei, Rivas, Diego Aguado (Lezcano, 60'); Fortuny (Mesonero, 78'), Cestero, Rezola (Roberto Martín, 72'); Ciria (Daniel Yáñez, 60'), Leiva and Fettal (Carvajal, 78').

Referee: Jorge Tárraga Lajara. Booked Sergio Moreno (51'), Moraitis (67'), Goyo Medina (73') and Álvaro López (81'). Sent off Belevonis with a straight red (90').

Notes: matchday 1 of Group 2 of Primera Federación, played at the Pinilla Stadium.