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Deolu Akingbade
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Cadiz CF Analysis
Is It Another Fight Against Relegation For Los Piratas This Season?
Don’t get it wrong. Cadiz is not elite. Resting at eighteenth in LaLiga with a paltry thirteen points and just two wins, Cadiz is one of the faces in the basement battle currently taking place. However, Cadiz has shown they can stay in Spain’s first division. From holding Barcelona to a scoreless draw to beating Athletic Club 1-0, Cadiz has shown glimmers of proficiency.
However, the glimmers are few and far between.
Cadiz has conceded 31 goals in seventeen games. That total is only lower than the woeful Levante. Their offense, although not bad, will need to step up significantly to pull Cadiz out of the lower echelons of the league. Their players will play a big part in how Cadiz fares in one of Europe's most competitive leagues.
PLAYERS
In goal for Los Piratas is former Club Rosario keeper Jeremias Ledesma. Although Ledesma has conceded 30 times, the former Argentina U23 keeper has 45 saves(sixth in LaLiga).
Helping him out on defense are players like Alfonso Espino, Iza Carcelen, and Varazdat Haroyan. They are instrumental to Los Piratas' campaign in LaLiga. Yet Cadiz's backline is not showing how dominant they can be. By letting 31 goals through their defense, they raise doubts among supporters on whether the front office needs to break the bank to help their ailing backline.
Alex Fernandez, Jens Jonsson, Tomas Alarcon, and Salvi head an okay midfield. The midfield will also be a big-spending point for the front office. Cadiz needs an agile midfield that can resist the constant pressure their 4-4-2 formation puts them in.
Five-goal forward Choco Lozano is showing his worth for Los Piratas. Lozano is the focal player of a meh offense that will play an important part this season. Alvaro Negredo and Salvi sometimes accompany the Honduran striker up top.
TACTICS
Cadiz is similar to European giants Atletico Madrid because of their defensively compact and sturdy 4-4-2 formation. They do not usually press, and they only work their magic when their opponent tries to attack their defense.
However, their defense can be exploited through the wings and gaps created from counter-attacks. Counter-attacks are what Cadiz relies on to score. They use long balls and play down the flanks to force opportunities into the box.
GAMES
The first match to look at did not go in favor of Los Piratas. In a basement battle that could define who goes to the Segunda Division, Getafe crushed Cadiz. Cadiz conceded four, mustering just two shots on target while showcasing exactly why they are nineteenth in LaLiga. Their leaky defense and general inadequacy were put on blast in front of a frenzied Getafe crowd.
Cadiz conceded four again in a bloodbath, this time in front of their home crowd, against reigning LaLiga champions Atletico Madrid. Thomas Lemar, Antoine Griezmann, Angel Correa, and Matheus Cunha all scored to deny Cadiz any points. The only bright spot of the day was a late strike from Anthony Lozano. His stunning goal flummoxed Jan Oblak, giving Cadiz its only shot on target.
Next up on the calendar was a Copa del Rey clash with fifth-tier side Villa Fortuna. Cadiz knocked seven past the overmatched side, with Alvaro Negredo scoring a hat-trick. Cadiz logged twenty-eight shots, passed the ball over 500 times, and had 74% possession.
Elche knocked three past a battered Cadiz defense a few days ago. Although Alex Fernandez scored in stoppage time, it was not enough to earn the three points Cadiz searched for. Cadiz was surprisingly strong against sixteenth-placed Elche, logging fifteen shots and six shots on target. Yet Elche showed how dominant their defense was, picking off stray passes and holding Los Piratas to their half.
Last game, Cadiz put up a solid fight against sixteenth-placed Granada. Unluckily for them, the game ended 1-1. Although the scoreline only hands one point, Los Piratas could have won this clash. Cadiz shot thirteen times, and most of them were close to the goal. However, in terms of overall gameplay, Granada dominated. Granda held plenty of possession, only completed 58% of their passes, and drew plenty of fouls from an overeager Cadiz side.
RELEGATION BATTLE
Their upcoming matches will be crucial for Cadiz to climb out of the red. After their second-round clash with Segunda Division relegation candidate Albacete, Cadiz will face league leader Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.
In January, Cadiz will face second-place Sevilla. These late-December and early-January fixtures will be important in determining how Cadiz’s season turns out. Cadiz will look to fight to remain in LaLiga as they jockey against clubs like Levante, Getafe, Alaves, and Elche.
Deolu Akingbade is profiling all 20 La Liga squads weekly exclusively for ThePyrrhic.com
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