Las Palmas closed matchday 3 of the Smartbank League at their stadium to face the recently promoted Andorra. In a clash between two teams with similar playstyles, both wanted possession of the ball, which the locals knew how to materialise better while Andorra won the battle for control without success. 26 minutes into the game, a long ball from Saúl Coco found Alberto Moleiro, who, after dribbling inside the Andorran area, passed back for Marc Cardona to score the 1-0 at an empty goal. In the second half, the away team completely dominated the ball, coming dangerously over Álvaro Vallés’ goal but without being able to finish. In the last minutes, a penalty by Adrià Altimira on Benito Ramírez allowed Las Palmas to sentence the game with a brace from Cardona.
Ratings:
- A1 – Very good, could play higher
- A2 – Strong potential to play higher
- B1 – Good, strong player at level
- B2 – Potential to be a strong player at level
- C – Average for the level, rewatch
- D – Below average in this match
Alberto Moleiro
- Nationality: Spanish
- Age: 18
- Date of Birth: 30/09/2003
- Current Club: UD Las Palmas
- Career: UD Las Palmas
- Position: Attacking Midfielder
- Preferred Foot: Right
Alberto Moleiro was one of the best and most decisive players in the match. Beyond the assist on Marc Cardona’s first goal, where he showed his ability to dribble and combine, Moleiro was a real headache for Andorra. Agile and volatile, he changed constantly his position throughout the match. Starting as the offensive midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 system, he got to play as a winger on both sides. In this way, the first goal came with him starting from the right sector, from where he penetrated the box. Self-confidence, passing and vision are his main virtues, and this was shown throughout the match. He repeatedly played between lines to drive the offensive plays, adding three key passes that ended in dangerous actions and drawing two fouls. On the other hand, his belief in himself led to numerous turnovers when dribbling or trying too risky passes, being, therefore, more precise in short passes.
Moleiro does not stand out mainly for his physical virtues. At 169 centimetres and with a slim build, he is not strong in aerial duels or on the ground, shying away from such actions. In this sense, he suffered the pressure of the Andorran defence throughout the game and was not able to successfully solve the duel plays. However, he was able to help in the recovery phase thanks to his excellent positioning when pressing. In this type of play, he advanced his position to the height of centre-forward Marc Cardona, with the team having a 4-4-2 drawing on several occasions when it came to defending. Despite his creativity, he knows how to stick to the tactical demands of the match when necessary.
Rating – A1
Alberto Moleiro is one of the stars of the competition and is in the sights of the greatest Spanish teams. The president of UD Las Palmas himself claimed to have received an offer of 25 million euros for him on deadline day, which was rejected. With a style of play similar to Pedri’s one, teams like Real Sociedad or Barcelona would be potentially suitable for him to stand out. He just needs to improve his physicality and precision with the ball.
Target Scouting 