Portugalete faces an authentic “final” against Vitoria tomorrow at 11:30 am. The train to the play-off goes through beating third-placed Eibar’s subsidiary in Florida. In the ranks of the pitchers, up to six players will face off in this fast-paced duel to their origins, aware of the rival in front of them and the tremendous importance of this clash.
“This game is a final”
Asier Etxaburu spent three seasons at Vitoria, with a promotion to Second B in between. The ondarrutarra keeps “a great memory” of that stage. However, that does not mean that he is now going to give his one hundred percent to beat them. “We have to go all out from minute one,” says the midfielder. He calls this match “a final” and shows confidence to move it forward. “We hope to play a good game and win,” he highlights.
“A large part of our options go through this game”
Ibargoien coincided with Etxaburu those same three years. He has no doubt that the best memory of him on that journey is “the play-off in which we were promoted.” He is now determined to play his third after that and the one from Arenas last year. In this sense, he considers that “a large part of our play-off options are in this game.” If they did, he believes they would be a tough nut to crack, since “going in with good dynamics would give us an incredible ‘punch’.”
“We must be at our best level”
Julen Etxaniz did not play for Vitoria, but he played eleven seasons in the Eibar youth team, his hometown team. Therefore, he emphasizes that this is always “a special game” for him. Knowing perfectly how the gunsmiths work, he indicates that “with the ball they are going to propose a lot.” That is why “we must be at our best level to get the three points and get closer to where we want to go,” he says.
“We cannot fail, we have no margin for error”
Ekhi Bravo dressed as a Barça player for three seasons between Urko Eibar and Vitoria. In this second team, he was on the brink of promotion to the Second Federation. Like his teammates, he stresses that this duel “is a final.” “We cannot fail, we have no margin for error,” he adds. Even so, he is totally convinced to win this stake and then achieve the goal. “I am convinced that we are going to sneak into the play-off,” he asserts.
“It’s a four-game race between Deusto and us”
Like Ekhi Bravo, Beñat Leiza was also part of Vitoria when they fell out of the promotion phase in Las Llanas. In fact, “that’s where I got to know football in a more professional way”, he declares. He is aware that “a victory would give us a lot of morale.” He, although he looks further and points out that “it is a four-game race head-to-head between us and Deusto. The one who gets the most points will be the one who enters the play-off ».
“Winning would be a blow on the table”
Eñaut Mendia lived “an unforgettable experience” at the hands of Eibar. Not only did he spend three seasons at Vitoria, but he managed to make his debut in the First Division with the first team. “It is what all children who like football dream of,” he says. However, “that is left out and now it’s time to defend the Portugalete shield,” he comments. The midfielder knows the importance of this clash and appreciates that “winning would be a blow on the table.”