Oscar Gil saw the fifth yellow card at San Mames and will not be against Barcelona. He is the most unstable position on the roster. Aleix Vidal will play against his former team.
Oscar Gil was needed against Barcelona
He had gotten tired of running down the right side, up and down, with his tongue out, with meritorious actions such as the interception that prevented a goal from Berenguer or with excessive centers in the second half that left for a throw-in. And, in one of those innings at the wrong time, Oscar Gil slapped Mikel Balenziaga. He continued the play, but when the game was stopped the referee showed him the yellow card. The fifth. The man from Elche will not be on Sunday against Barcelona.
Although Gil is not one of the team’s most outstanding players, he is the most consistent in a sensitive demarcation, that of the right back, which has been generating debates for more than ten years. And even more so now, with Víctor Gomez consolidating himself in Malaga as one of the best wingers in the category and Miguel Llambrich, Aleix Vidal and Oscar Gil for a place through which the rivals penetrate without excessive opposition.
Aleix Vidal to help
The void left by the former Elche player will be occupied by Aleix Vidal, who has already participated for a good part of the season, and in the absence of Gil due to injury, in that demarcation. With a better technical level than Gil, less deployment, and more concentration errors on the side, the former Barcelona player will have the difficult mission ahead of stopping Jordi Alba’s internships and Gavi’s mobility, since both players are used to occupying those positions left-footed shots from Xavi Hernandez’s attack.
Already in the first round it was the turn of the 32-year-old winger from Valls to act in that demarcation, whose performance has gone down after his good feelings at the beginning. In that match, against Barcelona led by Ronald Koeman, Aleix’s performance was remarkable, like that of most of the team. He has played ten starts as a right-back and Espanyol has won four, drawn one and lost five. They are not bad numbers compared to what he is getting now.