CD Tenerife may still be firmly rooted at the foot of the 2nd Division but the turnaround in fortunes in the last couple of weeks has led the most optimistic to think a miraculous escape could be underway.
The weekend win over Granada (2-1) was the Canarian side’s second in a row after the previous three points earned against Cadiz and local media have joined fans in seeking precedents and parallels that could give cause for optimism.
Despite being nine points off safety in the drop zone with nine games remaining, Tenerife point to the coincidence that Fabio González is in the team and he enjoyed a run of 27 out of a possible 33 points when playing for neighbours Las Palmas a few seasons ago.
In 2021-22, the Gran Canaria side made an unprecedented sprint in the final stretch of the season to jump into the promotion playoffs at the last minute (only to be eliminated by Tenerife!). Performances at Las Palmas improved beyond recognition following the sacking of manager Pepe Mel who, in another coincidence, was the manager at Tenerife until current boss Álvaro Cervera replaced him at Christmas due to poor results.
If Tenerife are to pull off a miracle and avoid being one of the four 2nd Division sides relegated to the ranks of the third tier of Spanish football, they will need to haul in Zaragoza, who currently occupy the coveted spot five spots off the bottom of the league, and hope that Eldense (just one point behind Zaragoza and fourth from last at present) do not pick up many more points.
Meanwhile, Las Palmas remain second-bottom of La Liga and have been cheered by the defeats suffered by Leganés and Alavés at the week-end, which means they are still in touch with safety. Tonight’s game away at ninth-placed Celta is make or break for the side, who have picked up just two points from their last four games and face tough fixtures against Real Sociedad and Atlético de Madrid in the run up to Easter.
Photo: CD Tenerife
