Kontazara Zaragoza and OAR Coruña met in the División de Honor Plata on 26 September, with the visitors taking a 27:32 win. The result leaves the hosts still searching for their first victory of the campaign, while Coruña move further clear in the upper half of the table.
We had tipped the home side, giving them a 53 per cent chance of success, but the match went another way. By then it was clear the visitors were second to everything in their game, and that showed on the scoreboard. The hosts simply could not find a response when it mattered.
On paper the standings tell a simple story. Zaragoza sit sixteenth with three draws and no points after three games, while Coruña occupy fourth place on four points from two wins and one draw. The gap between them is not vast, but the quality of the results speaks for itself.
Recent form does not help either side much. Zaragoza have drawn 26:26 with Agustines Alicante and 31:31 with Guadalajara, while Coruña's only blemish came in a 33:33 stalemate against Anaitasuña. Both sides have been steady rather than spectacular, but steady does not beat steady when one side is sharper.
The visitors defended their lead without panic, and that is what cup football often demands. They gave nothing away when the hosts threw everything at them, and the scoreline reflected that discipline. The result keeps Coruña's unbeaten run alive and leaves Zaragoza with questions to answer.
Three draws mean nothing in the league table, and that is the reality the hosts must face. They are not losing, but they are not winning either, and points are what separate the teams. Coruña, meanwhile, have built something tangible from three games, and they will want to keep the momentum going.