It’s 1:30 p.m., the sky is still crystal clear, but there’s a typical winter cold breeze. Outside the gates of the Alfredo Di Stéfano Stadium, families and fans are gathering before the match. The atmosphere is unmatched: here, the feeling of home is in the air.
For someone else, it may seem like a little world, but to these fans, it’s theirs. The sun lights up the still half-empty stands, while everyone, from children to elderly people, calmly takes their seat. The pitch is perfectly set, and there’s no need for artificial lights: everything seems to fall into its proper place and time.
After training, the two teams go into the changing rooms. It’s just a matter of minutes until the game starts. Castilla fights for their ambitions, while Barakaldo brings their significant history to the pitch.
The tension is palpable: the match has just started when someone from the stands shouts against the federation and the referee. Meanwhile, chants rise from the Castilla fan section. A young woman leads the choir of voices, which merge into a single soul.
At the beginning, both teams press high, creating one chance each. Afterwards, the atmosphere becomes tenser: Castilla has the ball but doesn’t manage to create real scoring opportunities. The match remains balanced and is marked by many fouls until the 44th minute. Álvaro Ginés provides a perfect assist for Palacios, who puts Castilla ahead with a clinical finish into the corner.
The referee adds 4 minutes of stoppage time: the first half ends, leaving the Castilla fans smiling, while the sun surprisingly still shines on the Alfredo Di Stéfano Stadium.
As the second half begins, Barakaldo plays with more determination and aggression, ready to turn the game around. A few moments later, the away team draws level: Sabin Merino scores a low finish for Barakaldo. Not long after, the striker has a headed chance but doesn’t find the net this time.
After those chances for Barakaldo, Castilla reacts by creating new opportunities until, at the 73rd minute, they finally find the winning goal, scored by D. Jiménez.
In the last ten minutes, including stoppage time, Mesonero and Leiva are sent off, and Los Blancos are reduced to nine players against eleven. The crowd is outraged and sings again against the federation and the referee.
In this situation, Fran González saves his team from a last-minute equalizer more than once, securing a home win for Castilla.
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