A dominant leader and a very tight pack

We are now one quarter of the way through the 2013/14 Liga Adelante season having played 11 matches, and the competition has certainly been close so far.

The only team to have shown true consistency early in this year's Liga Adelante season is the leader, RC Recreativo de Huelva, which has won seven of its last eight matches and, with 24 goals, no team has found the net as many times in the tournament. CD Lugo has also had a good start in its second Liga Adelante campaign and currently lies in second place, six points behind Recreativo.

Meanwhile, Real Murcia CF has found itself an early spot near the top of the Liga Adelante table with Kike García firing on all cylinders. Córdoba CF, UD Las Palmas and Real Sporting de Gijón, are gradually starting to find some form and in have been in the Liga BBVA promotion playoff spots practically every week.

After a stuttering start, the three teams who fell from the Liga BBVA last season, RC Deportivo La Coruña, Real Zaragoza and RCD Mallorca, are starting to get a feel for the Liga Adelante and are also close to the top of the table.

On the other hand, of the four clubs who won promotion to the Liga Adelante last season, only CD Tenerife is currently in the relegation zone, although the Canary Island outfit has won its last two matches. SD Eibar, Real Jaén CF and Deportivo Alavés, are beginning to establish themselves in the division and promise to put up a good fight.

Two teams who played in the promotion playoffs last year, Girona FC and AD Alcorcón, made good starts to the Liga Adelante, but they have struggled to win in recent weeks. However, just like SD Ponferradina, CD Numancia and CD Mirandés, they are currently in the mid-table positions and they all still have a lot to offer.

In the lower reaches, FC Barcelona B, CE Sabadell, Hércules CF and Real Madrid Castilla are struggling to find any consistency. But in such a tight Liga Adelante, where only nine points separate second and twentieth position, there is still a lot to play for on the 31 matchdays that remain until the end.

The parity is even reflected in the table of top goal-scorers, with four players having scored eight goals; Stefan Šćepović (Sporting), Kike (Murcia), Manuel Arana (Recreativo) and Borja Viguera (Alavés). Finally, Dani Giménez of Alcorcón and Germán Lux, conceding six and seven goals, respectively, are proving to be the most difficult keepers to beat.