De Lerma's unbeaten run ends as Marbella FC slide back into the drop zone

The win for Ceuta set a new record in Spain's third tier as they made it 20 matches without tasting defeat

Juan Ramón Padilla

Marbella

Sunday, 20 April 2025, 20:48

Carlos de Lerma endured his first loss as Marbella FC boss on Saturday as his side dropped back into the relegation places with a 3-1 defeat away to Ceuta.

The Primera RFEF league leaders came out with intent and broke the deadlock as early as the fifth minute. A poor clearance from the back by Marbella allowed Kuki Zalazar to pounce and cross for Koné. Although Eric Puerto initially denied him, Rubén Díez struck the rebound with a spectacular backheel to make it 1-0.

The hosts continued to press, with Díez nearly doubling the lead, only for Puerto to intervene again.

Despite the early setback, Marbella responded well. In the 20th minute, a quick move involving Tahiru led to Ohemeng finishing coolly from the left to level the scores.

This seemingly got the visitors, who started to control the tempo, back into the game. In fact, they nearly went ahead on the hour mark, when Tahiru found himself one-on-one with Ceuta keeper Pedro Ríos, who saved crucially.

Decisive moment

However, Ceuta pressed higher, forcing Marbella into errors during build-up play. And just four minutes later, the game tilted decisively. Andy Escudero fired in from the edge of the box to restore Ceuta’s lead.

Both sides then hit the woodwork in a frantic spell, but it was Ceuta who struck last. In the 83rd minute, Fornés brought down Zalazar in the area, and Cristian Rodríguez converted the penalty to seal the result.

After results elsewhere, the outcome left Marbella back in the drop zone as the season enters its final stretch.

For Ceuta, meanwhile, the win not only solidified their direct promotion hopes but also etched their name into the history books as they went 20 matches unbeaten, surpassing the previous record held by Racing and Deportivo.

Top 50

Esta funcionalidad es exclusiva para registrados.

Reporta un error en esta noticia