Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Segunda División match.
Tenerife secured their first win last week, yet they remain at the bottom of the table. Meanwhile, Real Zaragoza have hit a snag, with two recent setbacks dropping them from third to fifth place. Both clubs are in dire need of points, albeit for different objectives.
Tenerife
It's been an uncharacteristic start for the team. After eight rounds last season, they were in the top five, but five matches into this campaign, they've managed just a single point, leading to the dismissal of newly appointed manager Óscar Cano. Experienced coach Pepe Mel has stepped in, though he failed to rescue Almería last spring. It took until his third game at the helm for Tenerife to capture a much-needed victory, overcoming Cartagena (2:0), another team languishing in the relegation zone, so it was no heroic feat. However, Tenerife do possess potential, with a squad ranked 13th in terms of market value.
Real Zaragoza
In the last two rounds, they suffered defeats to Sporting Gijón and Racing Santander, with the latter reclaiming the top of the table following a 3:2 away win against Real Zaragoza. They made an equally strong start last season, standing third by the same round, before slipping to 15th place. Currently, the team averages 1.6 goals per game, takes 13.9 shots per match, and, crucially, concedes less than one goal per game. Only Mirandés have conceded fewer goals. The stats indicate that the visitors are quite solid.
Tenerife vs Real Zaragoza Prediction
The last two visits to the island concluded successfully for Real Zaragoza with 2:0 and 1:0 victories, and during those seasons, they primarily battled to retain their league status. Despite this, bookmakers still favour Tenerife. While Tenerife have narrowly lost their matches, something is evidently missing. It's riskier to back the visitors, but it would align with the continuation of their strong start.
