Burkina Faso
Chinese Taipei
Nigeria

TenerifeTenerifevs.Las PalmasLas Palmas

sportsmole.co.uk, 30 May 2022, 10:27
Tenerife and Las Palmas will lock horns in the Segunda Division playoff semi-finals on Wednesday evening, with the first leg of the contest set to take place at Estadio Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez.

The home side finished fifth in the Segunda Division table, while Las Palmas ended the season in fourth, one point above their opponents in the last four of the playoffs.

Match preview

Tenerife have been present in the Segunda Division since earning promotion from the third tier in 2013, while they have been absent from the top flight of Spanish football since the 2009-10 campaign.

The Canary Islands outfit have not threatened to earn promotion back to the top flight over the last few seasons, finishing 11th, 16th, 12th and 14th in the second tier, but they managed to claim fifth this term, picking up 69 points from their 42 games.

Tenerife actually ended their league season with three straight defeats to Malaga, Eibar and FC Cartagena, but they had enough credit in the bank to secure a position in the playoffs.

Luis Miguel Ramis's side will be aware of the importance of claiming a first-leg advantage on home soil, but they actually had the best away record in the Segunda in 2021-22, picking up 37 points from 21 matches.

Las Palmas have also been strong on their travels this term, collecting 26 points, so it is set to be a fascinating two-legged affair between two sides that were only separated by a point in the table.

The visitors will enter this match off the back of a 1-0 win over Sporting Gijon on Sunday, with Jonathan Viera scoring the only goal of the contest.

The victory allowed Las Palmas to secure fourth in the table, picking up 70 points from their 42 matches courtesy of a record of 19 wins, 13 draws and 10 defeats.

Garcia Pimienta's side have actually won each of their last five matches, while they are unbeaten in the league since March 12, so La Union Deportiva have momentum heading into the playoff semi-final.

Las Palmas spent three straight seasons in La Liga between 2015 and 2018 before dropping into the second tier, finishing 12th, ninth and ninth in their last three campaigns.

The second leg of this contest will take place on Saturday night, and the winner will face either Girona or Eibar in the the final, with Almeria and Real Valladolid securing automatic promotion to the top flight.

Tenerife Segunda Division form:

Las Palmas Segunda Division form:

Team News

Tenerife will be missing Alex Munoz, Andres Martin and Pablo Larrea on Wednesday through injury, while Javi Alonso and Samuel Shashoua are fitness doubts.

Head coach Ramis is likely to make changes from the side that started against Cartagena on Sunday, with Carlos Ruiz, Enric Gallego and Alex Corredera all pushing for spots in the XI.

Ramis actually made four half-time changes at the weekend, while Englishman Samuel Shashoua also came off the bench in the second period, and the former Tottenham Hotspur youngster will hope to be involved.

Elady Zorrilla is Tenerife's leading goalscorer in the league this season with 11, while Gallego is second with 10, and the 35-year-old could be brought in for a start here.

As for Las Palmas, Saul Coco and Enzo Loiodice will all be missing through injury, but the visitors do not have any fresh concerns from their success over Sporting Gijon.

Alvaro Lemos and Alberto Moleiro both came off just past the hour of Sunday's affair but are expected to be available, while Viera, who has 14 league goals this season, will again feature in a midfield area for the hosts.

A 4-5-1 formation is set to include Rafa Mujica at centre-forward, with Rober playing off the right and Fabio Gonzalez joining Viera in the middle of midfield.

Tenerife possible starting lineup:

Soriano; Moore, Sipcic, Ruiz, Jeremy; Michel, Corredera, Jamelli; Gonzalez, Gallego, Zorrilla

Las Palmas possible starting lineup:

Valles; Lemos, Suarez, Navas, Ramirez; Rober, Gonzalez, Mfulu, Viera, Moleiro; Mujica

We say: Tenerife 1-1 Las Palmas

Las Palmas will enter this match in much the better form, but we have a feeling that the first leg will be incredibly tight. Both managers would likely accept a draw if it were offered ahead of kickoff, and a stalemate would leave the tie delicately poised ahead of the reverse fixture.

Previews by email

Top News

2 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Two sides looking to bring an end to winless streaks come face to face on Saturday afternoon as Dundee host St Mirren at the Kilmac Stadium at Dens Park in the second of five matches in the post-split phase of the Scottish Premiership. 2 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk With three Bundesliga games remaining, neither Werder Bremen nor Borussia Monchengladbach are assured of survival before gameweek 32's clash at Weserstadion. 2 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea have allegedly made contact with Antonio Conte in a bid to secure a reunion with their former head coach. 2 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Brentford and Fulham will be playing solely for West London derby bragging rights in Saturday afternoon's Premier League contest at the Gtech Community Stadium. 2 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Atletico Madrid will be bidding to strengthen their grip on a top-four position in the La Liga table when they travel to relegation-threatened Mallorca on Saturday night. 2 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Real Sociedad will be bidding to bounce back from their defeat against Real Madrid when they continue their La Liga campaign at home to Las Palmas on Saturday afternoon. 2 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Long-term Arsenal absentee Jurrien Timber could make his long-awaited senior comeback in Saturday's early Premier League kickoff against Bournemouth. 2 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Bidding to temporarily go four points clear at the top of the Premier League standings, Arsenal kick off Saturday's action with the visit of Bournemouth to the Emirates Stadium for the lunchtime kickoff. 2 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly been dealt a blow in their efforts to sign a new midfielder in the summer. 2 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Both Champions League semi-finals are delicately poised ahead of the second legs next week. 2 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea defender Thiago Silva has reportedly received an official offer from Fluminense. 2 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool have dropped a major hint over the futures of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk in the launch of their new home kit for the 2024-25 campaign. 2 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona have been dealt a blow with the news that one of their defenders has suffered a serious knee injury. 2 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool have unveiled their official men's and women's home kit for the 2024-25 season, which pays homage to the legendary treble-winning side from the 1983-84 campaign. 2 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk All transfer business is done and dusted for this season, but that doesn't stop clubs from preparing ahead for next season. 2 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool's ambitions of Premier League glory could fully crash and burn when they welcome Tottenham Hotspur to Anfield for Sunday's Premier League fixture. 2 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk A pair of Ligue 1 sides fighting for different things in the latter portion of the campaign will square off on Friday as Lens welcome Lorient to Stade Bollaert-Delelis. 2 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Marseille vs. Atalanta (Thursday, 8.00pm) Meeting for the first time in European competition, Marseille and Atalanta BC will both seek a crucial first-leg lead as they kick off their Europa League semi-final on Thursday. 2 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Two of the top three teams in the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS) will square off on Saturday as Inter Miami host the New York Red Bulls at Chase Stadium. 1 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk In a matchup between one of the hottest teams in Major League Soccer (MLS) and one of the top teams in the Western Conference, Austin FC will travel to BC Place Stadium on Saturday to battle the Vancouver Whitecaps. 1 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Borussia Dortmund have put one foot in the final of the 2023-24 Champions League thanks to a 1-0 victory over a wasteful Paris Saint-Germain at the Signal Iduna Park. 1 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk With the chance to guarantee their Eredivisie safety, Almere City will welcome Heerenveen to the Yanmar Stadion on Friday. 1 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid have proven themselves to be the best side in La Liga this season, sitting comfortably at the head of the table and charging towards a 36th top-flight title. 1 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Athletic Bilbao's bid to remain in the hunt for a top-four finish in La Liga will continue on Friday evening, when they make the trip to the Spanish capital to tackle Getafe. 1 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Looking to complete their 10th Premier League double over their London rivals, Chelsea welcome Tottenham Hotspur to Stamford Bridge for Thursday's mouthwatering capital clash. 1 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona have reportedly set their sights on a move for a Ukraine international winger should Raphinha depart the club in the summer transfer window. 1 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona are reportedly hoping to shift two of their unwanted stars to the Saudi Pro League during the summer transfer window. 1 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Two clubs, including a Champions League semi-finalist, are reportedly preparing to battle one another for the signature of Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk this summer. 1 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Watford and Queens Park Rangers are reportedly interested in signing Luton Town's Luke Berry during the summer transfer window. 1 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona will be aiming to strengthen their grip on second position in the La Liga table when they travel to Catalan rivals Girona on Saturday evening.