Castellón defeated Hercules 4-3 on penalties in a club friendly on Thursday evening, after 120 minutes of goalless football ended level. The match took place at the Hercules ground on 7 August 2026, and neither side could find the net despite extended time. And here's the thing — the shootout decided everything after a tense, evenly matched 90 minutes.
Hercules started brighter, but Castellón grew into the game. Yellow cards for A. Escudero at 16 minutes and R. Cantero at 40 showed the physical nature of the contest. By then, both managers had begun reshuffling their sides, with A. Escudero coming off at 53 minutes.
The second half brought more changes. Castellón made seven substitutions at 62 minutes, while Hercules responded with their own round at 82. N. Ben Hamed's red card at 89 minutes — after two yellows — left Hercules short at the back. To be fair, it didn't change the scoreline.
Extra time produced nothing, so penalties followed. A. Jakobsen and Juanjo Nieto scored for Castellón, while J. Mellot added another. Hercules saw D. Aurelio miss his spot-kick, and the visitors held their nerve to win 4-3 on the spot-kicks.
Castellón dominated possession at 61 per cent and registered 83 attacks against Hercules' 73. The home side earned three corners to the visitors' five, though neither team created much. Three yellows and a red for Hercules compared to none for Castellón told its own story.
The result means little in terms of standings — this was pre-season preparation. But Castellón's ability to close out a tight game in penalties suggests they're building something. Hercules still have work to do before the competitive season begins.