Our prediction for this Segunda Division match:
Sporting Gijon and Las Palmas square off against each other at Estadio El Molinon in the La Liga 2 round 18. Los Rojiblancos have drawn each of their last four league matches, but a win over Las Palmas will see them move closer to the playoffs berth. Both Axel Bamba and Nacho Mendez are out of contention through injuries, while Serbia-born Montenegro striker Uros Djurdjevic is widely expected to return to the starting XI.
La Union Deportiva, on the other hand, have a chance to overtake Deportivo Alaves in top position in the standings, but given their ups and downs on the road, we believe that there is a big value in betting on draw. Pejino should keep his place in the starting XI after scoring a brace in a 3-1 win over Tenerife, while fellow midfielder Omenuke Mfulu misses out through suspension.
Highlighted Player (Diego Marino):
Diego Marino is a Spanish goalkeeper who plays for Sporting Gijon. The 185-cm-tall shoot-stopper was born on 9 May, 1990 in Vigo and he played for the likes of Santa Marina, Rapido Bouzas, Sardoma, Areosa and Villarreal during his youth career. Between 2008 and 2010 he played for Villarreal C and in 2010 he started playing for Villarreal B.
Marino made 72 appearances for Villarreal B and in 2012 he joined the first team. He was not Villarreal’s first-choice goalkeeper in the 2012/2013 campaign and he made no more than nine appearances for the Yellow Submarine. In the 2015/2016 season he played for Levante, but following their relegation to Segunda Division, Diego Marino decided to sign a deal with Sporting Gijon on 1 July, 2016.
The goalkeeper has 6 caps for Spain U-21, while playing 3 games for Spain U23. It has to be noted that he won UEFA U-21 Championships in 2011 and 2013 with La Furia Roja. Back in 2007 he made it to the FIFA U-17 World Cup final with the Spanish national team.
Highlighted Team (Las Palmas):
Las Palmas are a Spanish football club based in the Canary Islands. The club was founded on 22 August, 1949. Los Amarillos play in Spanish La Liga and the team’s home ground is Estadio Gran Canaria. The stadium was opened in 2003 and it’s current capacity is 32,150. Miguel Angel Ramirez is the club’s chairman and the club’s main rivals are Tenerife.
Las Palmas impressed in the 2015/2016 La liga campaign, with the team finishing the season in 11th place in the standings. However, it has to be noted that los Amarillos finished the 1968/1969 Primera Division campaign in second place in the table, 11 points behind Spanish giants Real Madrid.
Speaking of Copa del Rey, Las Palmas made it to the final of the Spanish Cup in 1978. Las Palmas eliminated Sporting Gijon in the semis (5-3), but Barcelona outplayed los Amarillos in the title game (3-1).