Previews
JUE 18.08.2016
Team News:
RC Deportivo: Full squad available.
SD Eibar: Florian Lejeune and Gonzalo Escalante (both injured).
Match Facts:
Deportivo:
- It is all change in A Coruña for the 2016/17 season, or at least not far from it. The Galician outfit boast a new coach in Gaizka Garitano, who has returned to LaLiga Santander to take up the Riazor hotseat and will kick off his reign against his former club. On top of that, the stadium itself has had a facelift. The seats are now all blue and some 1,050 railings have been installed on the staircases in the ground's upper stands.
Riazor estrenará mañana en LaLiga las mejoras realizadas durante el verano https://t.co/mv9RDI68RH #Dépor pic.twitter.com/9Wy8E6dxjc
— RC Deportivo (@RCDeportivo) August 18, 2016
- The Depor fans are sweating on the future of Lucas Perez, their star man and top scorer last season. The forward has been linked with a move away, but the Riazor faithful are understandably crossing their fingers that he will stay. They will be sure to show the local icon plenty of love during the visit of Eibar – against whom he is expected to feature – in a bid to sway him.
Eibar:
- "The team look good to me. We produced our best performances of the pre-season in the last few games and the lads have been in good shape in training this week, showing spark, a good tempo and eagerness to get going." These were the words of Jose Luis Mendilibar in the pre-match press conference. Deportivo can consider themselves warned.
2 days left... are you ready for the first ⚔battle? @LaLiga pic.twitter.com/tg0pNief4f
— SD Eibar (@SDEibar) August 17, 2016
- It is set to be a special day for Asier Etxaburu. With a raft of absences to contend with, Mendilibar has drafted in the young attacking midfielder from fourth-tier (Tercera Division) CD Vitoria, Eibar's feeder club, for the Deportivo match. If he gets on the pitch, it will be Etxaburu's LaLiga debut, although he does have one appearance for Eibar to his name, having played in the Copa del Rey clash with SD Ponferradina last year.
Getting to Riazor
Address: Rua Manuel Murguia, 15011 A Coruña
Bus: Lines 3 and 7.
Stadium location here
Time: 22:00 CET
Stadium: Riazor
Referee: Melero Lopez, Mario
TV: Watch the game in your country
Hashtag: #DéporEibar
Preview in numbers
© LALIGA - 2016