Inter Escaldes Tops Andorra Primera Divisió with 2-1 Win Over UE Santa Coloma
Inter Escaldes claimed the top spot with a hard-fought victory in snowy conditions, while Rangers thrashed Ordino and FC Santa Coloma beat Esperança.
Key Points
- Inter Escaldes beat UE Santa Coloma 2-1 (Otegui 9', Pochettino); now lead with 31 points from 14 games.
- Rangers crushed FC Ordino 4-0 on Armando León hat-trick and Prieto goal.
- FC Santa Coloma won 2-0 vs. CF Esperança (Betancor 30', López); debutants Álvarez, Carro featured.
- UE Santa Coloma drop to 2nd (29 pts), FC Santa Coloma 3rd (24 pts); title race tightens.
Inter Escaldes secured top position in Andorra's Primera Divisió with a 2-1 victory over UE Santa Coloma on Saturday evening at the FAF's Borda Mateu training ground, navigating cold conditions and snowfall.
Antonio Otegui scored in the ninth minute, beating goalkeeper Pol Freixanet to give Felip Ortiz's team the lead. Maurizio Pochettino, son of the US national team coach Mauricio Pochettino, added a second before halftime. Francisco Pérez Palma, also known as Fran Palma, pulled one back for Iñaki Alonso's side in stoppage time, but Inter held on to claim 31 points from 14 matches—their first league game in nearly a month after the Christmas break and Copa Constitució ties.
Ranger's consolidated their standing with a 4-0 win against FC Ordino, driven by a hat-trick from captain Armando León and a goal from Enrique Prieto, despite ongoing administrative issues with player registrations under coach Luis Blanco. FC Santa Coloma advanced their European push, defeating CF Esperança 2-0 with first-half goals from Yenerey Betancor in the 30th minute and international Guillaume López; debutants Mario Álvarez and Mikel Carro featured for the winners under Víctor Vázquez. CE Carroi and Penya Encarnada finished goalless, easing relegation concerns for both in a low-key encounter. Atlètic Club Escaldes had a bye this round.
UE Santa Coloma slipped to second on 29 points, five ahead of FC Santa Coloma in third with 24. The results have intensified the title contest as the campaign resumes.
Original Sources
This article was aggregated from the following Catalan-language sources: