Andorra 1-3 Sporting: The Principality curse is broken (and Casas makes his statement)

What's up, folks? Done. Finally. Three visits, zero goals, zero wins... and today Sporting bring back from Encamp three goals and three points. Our first ever win in Andorra, the second away victory of the season (two out of two on the road) and on top of that cutting short a two-game losing streak just before the derby. Was it a masterclass performance? Far from it. Does it deserve celebrating anyway? Of course, mate. And I'm telling you from the heart: I was already thinking about calling the ambulance.

And here's a stat to blow your mind: two away games, two wins. Unbeaten away from El Molinón. If Sporting come to visit, you'd better be worried. By the way, I'd tipped 1-2 with a goal from Otero in my predictions: it turned out 1-3 and Otero got the assist. Close, close.

🔄 Larcamón shuffled the pack (and I wasn't having it)

The boss warned beforehand that if something needed changing, he'd change it. And he did. Manu Rodríguez, back to fitness, came straight in for Nacho Martín, and the big tactical shift was the shape: a five-man defence in practice, with Rosas and Pablo García on the flanks, Cuenca, Pablo Vázquez and Duñabeitia in the centre, Manu and Corredera in the double pivot, Gelabert floating about, Iosifov pushed to the right and Otero more or less up front. Sarco, out.

I'll be straight with you: I didn't like it one bit. I saw the team lost, with moments where I genuinely didn't know what we were trying to do. We won, yes, and three points are three points. But for me it was a dreadful performance, and sorry, but you have to say it.

⚽ A corner to exorcise the ghosts

The match started with set pieces. First the scare: Sergio Molina found himself alone at the back post after a dodgy Yáñez save and, thankfully, put it wide. And almost immediately after, ours: Corredera's corner, Duñabeitia rises authoritatively and plants it well away from the keeper. 0-1 in the 6th minute. The Basque centre-back's first goal in red and white, and I'm delighted about it.

And from there... nap time. A soporific first half, Andorra with the ball constantly and Sporting unable to string three passes together to wrestle it back. Two chances in six minutes and pretty much nothing else until half-time. If I hadn't been watching live, I'd have drifted off myself. What a bore.

🟨 The referee: debut and already reaching for the cards

We said it beforehand: Pablo Morales Moreno had just been promoted to the second tier and had never refereed us before. Some entrance, mate. Fouls and cards falling all on the same side, and there was an Andorra player who could've picked up half a dozen yellows and left untouched. Made it look easy refereeing against Sporting. Came in through the big doors.

😬 The error that blew it wide open

Coming back out, Andorra adjusted things, Jordi Cano came on and they started flowing better. And in the 48th came the gift: a backpass from Iosifov in midfield, Pablo Vázquez hesitates, tries to clear with the outside of his boot and gifts it to Jordi Cano, who's clean through on Yáñez and levels. 1-1, a typical Sporting moment, and there's the curse again. Yáñez couldn't do much there: the defenders were too soft, and Pablo Vázquez trying to clear with an outside boot... I don't know what he was thinking. Given how the first half ended and how the second started, I could already see the ambulance rolling up. Those were Andorra's best minutes: more intense, more switched on, better than us.

🔥 Larcamón shakes the tree and Casas redeems himself

In the 58th came the turning point from the bench: Bruno Rubio and Antonio Casas for Pablo García and Gelabert. Otero drifts wider with freedom, Casas stays up front, Iosifov moves left and Bruno Rubio operates through the middle. The team found its shape a bit better and got some breathing room. Not revolutionary, but noticeable.

And in the 66th, the play I'll be keeping: Otero picks the ball up on the wing, goes on a divine charge, nutmegs the last defender with a lovely touch and lays it off for Casas. And the lad does what a proper nine does: doesn't blast it first time, takes a touch, composes himself, makes his space and slots it in. 1-2. What looks easy but is so hard. If you ask me, 85% of that goal's Otero and 15% Casas, but that doesn't take anything away from a striker making his debut with a goal and who the boss reckoned was ready to compete this very week. And yes, I'll say it again: Otero has to play on the wing. I don't know anything about football, but there's the proof.

Worth a mention too: Bruno Rubio. We saw flashes of quality from the lad again, and I like that. Though the telly kept focusing on him and he looked worried at the end: we'll have to see if he picked up a knock.

🏃 Iosifov and the corner that turned into our goal

Give Andorra credit: they pushed us back and had the equaliser on several occasions. When it wasn't our defenders clearing, it was Yáñez, and when it wasn't him, it was their poor finishing. And in the last play, with their keeper up there trying to nod in a corner, someone smashed it skyward, Iosifov raced one more time and tapped into an empty net. 1-3. Seems like nothing, but that goal's worth more than it looks: we've got the head-to-head record sorted for the return at El Molinón.

⚖️ The good, the bad and what needs addressing

Let's be honest, that's what we're here for. The good: three points, three away goals (we had two in five games), a curse lifted, Duñabeitia and Casas's first goals, and a bench that changed the game. The bad: the result's very deceiving. Look at that 1-3 in the standings and you think «easy night for Sporting». Wrong, it's far from reality: Andorra had the ball, had chances to level and even to win. They were eating us in midfield, getting through cleanly on goal and there were some worrying moments where our intensity dropped.

⭐ My Man of the Match

They gave it to Corredera on telly, and I wouldn't have. My Man of the Match is Duñabeitia: very solid at the back, put himself about despite the yellow card, made a brilliant clearance late on and topped it off with a goal. He's been playing really well. I could also give it to Yáñez, or Otero and Iosifov for all the running and what they contributed.

I'm happy we won, yes, but with a nagging feeling. Today we won with firepower, set pieces and the bench. Fair enough, and it counts. But for the Tartiere we're going to need more than this.

📊 How the table looks

With this victory Sporting bag 10 points (a fifth of the 50-point target, already ticking along nicely) and provisionally move into sixth place, in playoff spots, waiting to see what the rest of the sides do this weekend. Andorra are sinking: bottom with 3 points and five straight defeats. The table, updated live, is in the Hypermotion standings.

⚔️ And now… the derby

Sunday 27 September at 21:00 it's Tartiere time. It's not the same arriving with two straight losses versus coming in with a historic win and the team in the playoffs: the whole week changes. Right now, today's performance isn't enough, and we all know it. I won't be at Tartiere, as you know, but we're watching the derby together live on Kick: set a phone alarm, we'll suffer and celebrate together.

COME ON SPORTING! 🔴⚪

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