Thrilling comeback sends Real Madrid Castilla into the playoffs.

Raul’s boys will not be denied. This has been the gauntlet that his Castilla team have consistently laid down since a mini-derby victory just before Christmas. COVID, blistering weather, injuries, first team call-ups and a quality run of opponents have all tried to stop them and one by one they have been toppled.

Real Madrid Castilla came into this match against Talavera knowing that victory would seal a place in the Segunda division playoffs. Having collected just two points from their first three games, it was a opportunity that didn’t seem likely midway through this second phase, but fortune and the reserves consistent “never say die” attitude put them back in the conversation.

Talavera didn’t have much to play for heading into their last match, but a home crowd wasn’t going to allow Castilla a pass into the playoffs so the hosts were competitive from the off. Hugo Duro opened the scoring after incisive pass from Sergio Arribas. The finish was unorthodox but it put Castilla in the driving seat of the game and, most importantly, the third place spot.

The visitors managed to keep their lead into the halftime break, but were back at square one six minutes into the second 45 after Talavera equalized from the spot. Finally, the home crowd opportunities to cheer about with Pablo Ramon called into action on a couple occasions to keep the game level. 11 minutes after their first, Talavera scored a second, this one from open play and with Extramendura doing their part against Inter, Castilla’s season looked set for a premature end.

Marvin Park replaced Peter after going behind offered a decisive impact, assisting Duro’s second goal of the game with just over 20 minutes left to play.

Eight minutes later, he was at the center of a scrap of the ball which eventually broke to Arribas in space out wide. He weaved a through ball into Duro whom cut back to Vallejo for a tap in. Kenneth Soler secured three points ten minutes later with his first ever Castilla goal.

There isn’t much to say about this team that hasn’t already been said. After much tinkering in the first half of the season, Raul has found a system that really takes advantage of his core talent’s strengths and the wealth of talent in La Fabrica currently, as well as the coach’s bravery to trust these talents, has made Castilla a force to be reckoned with week after week.

Promotion is still some distance away, There are four places up for grabs in next season’s Segunda division and 16 teams vying for those spots, many of them much more experienced than Castilla are. Saying that, no one will want to draw this team in their current form and, on paper, Segunda is now just eight wins away.