UD Ibiza defeated FC Cartagena 1-4 at the Cartagonova stadium, in the 19th round of Primera RFEF (Group 2), and closed the first round with three points that allow them to get out of the relegation zone and strengthen the confidence of Miguel Álvarez’s team. Not only because of the win, but also because the Ibizan team showed their best performance of the season.
Davo at the helm
Ibiza found an early prize. Davo opened the scoring in an early match in which the celestial settled with continuity in the opponent’s field and punished the defensive doubts of Cartagena.
The local team reacted and managed to equalize through Ortuño, but the visitor’s response was immediate: another strike by Davo, again after insisting in the area, gave Ibiza the lead back before the break (1-2).
The score could have been much higher at the end of the first half, had it not been for the interventions of goalkeeper Iván Martínez or the lack of accuracy in the final meters.
Second part to believe
After the restart, the script did not change: Ibiza kept control and, with space, was more damaging. Fran Castillo widened the gap culminating an attacking action that left the game on track.
With Cartagena already against the tide, one of the novelties of this stretch of the season appeared. Svensson, a debutant, forced a penalty and converted it to close the scoring and sign a victory that, in addition to the result, left a competitive image from start to finish (1-4).
UD Ibiza finished with ten players after José Albert was sent off almost at the end of the game for a double caution.
Turning point?
The victory in Cartagena places UD Ibiza 14th with 23 points after 19 rounds, already out of the red zone, in a classification led by Sabadell (35) ahead of Atlético Madrileño (34).
With the second half of the season ahead of them, the immediate challenge for the Celestes will be to turn this goal into a line of continuity, just when the winter market enters a key moment to adjust the squad: the club has already made several departures official at the beginning of January.
