It’s rare for elite-level football to make its way to the Costa Blanca, but anybody in the area in October 2017 will have fond memories of a visit from one of the very best in the business.
Real Murcia were paired with Barcelona in the Copa del Rey, and the gulf in class was evident from the first whistle as the Catalan giants ran out 3-0 winners.
At that point there were two divisions between the sides, and although Barca sent a weakened starting eleven for the cup tie at the Estadio Nueva Condomina, their team still included the likes of Paco Alcacer, Gerard Deulofeu and Javier Mascherano.
On that day, the two teams were competing on a rather uneven playing field, but Real Murcia are making such huge strides that who knows – maybe one day they could be gracing the top tier of Spanish football. As of February 13, they sit just nine points outside of the play-off places in the Segunda Division Group B, and with plenty of time to close that gap a late run for a top-four finish is still on the cards.
What’s more, Adrian Hernandez’s side has been in excellent form in 2020 so far, losing just one of their six league games since the turn of the year and defeating fellow promotion chasers Cordoba.
The play-off structure in the Segunda Division is quite unusual, with the tier below the second division split into four groups named A, B, and D. The top four in each then goes into a play-off system, and with a quartet of promotion spots available all involved will fancy their chances of ascension to the Segunda Division proper.
If they could achieve the feat, Real Murcia would then be in the second tier – just one promotion away from La Liga, and a level they haven’t played at for well over a decade.
Then they would be back in the big time, with the beautiful Estadio Nueva Condomina filled to its 31,000 capacity, games shown on TV and of course the ability to bet on Murcia matches at betting sites like Space Casino. This bookmaker offers some 180 markets on every La Liga game, from match-winner and total goals to cards, corners and handicaps, so Murcia fans will (hopefully) be able to make their knowledge count should they see their team ascend to the top rung of Spanish football.
Veteran Curto Showing No Signs of Age
Leading the way in the goalscoring charts for Real Murcia this season is the evergreen Victor Curto. He may be turning 38 in the summer, but the forward has not lost his eye for goal. Five goals in twelve games have helped Murcia climb the ranks in the Segunda Division, and Curto’s clever movement and clinical finishing will be crucial if they are to press on in their quest for a play-off place.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1226904252150403073
It shouldn’t be any surprise that Curto is still in among the goals, given that he was once signed by Barcelona with an eye on progressing into their first team. He never went beyond the B Team there, but a decent spell with Albacete confirmed his predatory instincts in front of goal.
What makes Curto’s continued prowess so impressive are the obstacles he has had to overcome in his career. A tear of a cruciate knee ligament tends to be a career-ender, but he bounced back from that and a leave of absence from the game to battle depression and mental health problems.
Nobody would deserve promotion to the second tier of Spanish football more than Victor Curto.
