Fortunately for us, Driblab's reach extends to unexpected territories, including the third tier of Spanish football. The so-called Primera RFEF is full of talent, featuring both experienced elite players and young prospects starting to shine.
Today, we focus on the latter—but with one important condition: we have excluded players from reserve teams (B units of higher-category clubs). Therefore, we won't consider teams like Barça Atlètic, Real Madrid Castilla, Real Sociedad B, or Athletic B.
We have selected five players born in 2002 or later. Here is our list:
Alejandro Lizancos - Lugo - 2003 - Right-back
The Galician is one of the most promising defensive full-backs in Group 1 of Primera RFEF. Lizancos gets dribbled past in only 1.9 out of every 10 tackles he attempts per game, meaning an 82.1% success rate. None of the 61 full-backs with over 450 minutes in Primera RFEF (Group 1) exceeds that number.
His completed tackles number per game is above the average for full-backs but below the overall average for all positions. He is not a passive defender, but he is not the most proactive either.
In other defensive metrics he also stands out: he is in the top 14% of full-backs with the most aerial duels won (1.7 per game), the top 18% in ball recoveries (3.32), and among those who apply the most individual pressures per 90 minutes (39.5).
His next area for improvement is impacting more in passing instances. However, he has qualities to build on. He is an average player in terms of progressing the ball through passing, and his ball retention ability is also solid (84%).
If a team is looking for a defensive-minded right-back, Lizancos is a strong option.
Alejandro Costa - Ponferradina - 2003 - Striker
Costa takes a lot of shots, creates danger, and has aerial ability. There is no doubt why he is having a good season. A striker with his skill set, even if he has weaknesses in other aspects of the game, tends to succeed in this division.
Looking at his shot map, we see two key aspects: almost all his shots—many in limited minutes—come from inside the box, and 37% of his goals have come from attempts in the six-yard box.
He ranks 4th in the league in xG per game (0.39) and 8th in shots per game (2.41). The quality of his attempts places him in the 72nd percentile, which is quite solid (0.16 xG per shot).
He is not the most dominant player inside the box, but he knows how to find scoring opportunities, as shown below.
In this passage of play Costa works as a reference point. His team progresses down the right flank while he positions himself in the central channel.
As Ponferradina advances through the right wing, Costa starts moving toward the back of the nearest defender, while keeping his eyes on the ball.
In the next frame, the Lugo defender turns his head to find Costa, who has positioned himself behind him to avoid being marked or referenced.
When Costa anticipates his teammate's cross, he quickly changes direction and sprints to get in front of the defender, who is focused only on the ball and assumes Costa is still behind him.
The cross ends up being slightly behind him, forcing a difficult finish. However, these types of movements show his ability to create goalscoring opportunities rather than simply waiting for the ball to arrive. That is a valuable skill at this level.
Costa is a good striker who might need to get more involved in build-up play, but he could be an excellent option for a team in need of a finisher.
Neco Celorio - Algeciras - 2003 - Left Winger/Attacking Midfielder
As seen in his dribbling map, Celorio has a significant influence in central areas, despite being nominally a winger.
In these central positions, he showcases his passing ability: he averages the most passes into the opposition's box among wingers in Group 2 of Primera RFEF (1.64 per game), ranks 3rd in key passes (0.82), and 4th in expected assists (xA) per game (0.14).
Additionally, he completes the 12th-most dribbles per match (2.45).
However, he have to expect better production. He ranks 4th among wingers in shot attempts (2.66 per game), but his expected goals numbers per game (0.15) are just average. So far, he has generated only 1.4 xG and he's yet to score in the league.
The same applies to his passing: his overall numbers are solid, but he has only registered two assists. Last season in Segunda RFEF with Racing B, he scored seven goals and provided six assists.
He just needs to add more end product in terms of goals and assists. More consistent playing time could help, as he has only played 42% of the available minutes.
Álvaro Martínez - Cultural Leonesa - 2002 - Left-back
Martínez is one of the most promising full-backs in the division but also a player ready for the present. He is the starting left-back for the Group 1 leaders. However, he has a different profile compared to Lizancos, the other full-back we discussed.
Among the 61 full-backs in Group 1 with over 450 minutes, only one player averages more chances created (1.66) and more completed crosses (1.75) than Martínez.
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These two metrics are related: Martínez's left foot is highly valuable. He plays a key role in chance creation, ranking in the top 11% of full-backs in xG chain involvement (meaning he frequently participates in dangerous plays).
Here’s an example of Álvaro Martínez in the attacking phase: his team progresses through the central lane, and he sprints forward to support his teammate.
Despite sprinting at top pace, he's able to see what's in front of him before receiving the ball to assess the positioning of his teammates.
He then selects the area to target, trusting his teammates to arrive with enough momentum to finish. This passage finish with a good save by the oppo. keeper.
Naturally, Martínez has some weaknesses, mostly on the defensive end. His dribble success rate is relatively low—4 out of 10 times he attempts a tackle, he is beaten. This places him in the 35th percentile among full-backs. His aerial ability is also limited, and his number of ball losses per game is below average.
A team using a three-man defense that pushes its wing-backs high up the pitch could be interested in him.
From my POV, Álvaro Martínez bears a clear resemblance to Alfie Doughty, Luton Town's star wing-back in the Premier League last season.
Yeray Cabanzón - Ponferradina - 2003 - Right Winger
Cabanzón is a right-footed winger who plays on the left flank. In some ways, he shares similarities with Neco Celorio.
Statistically, Cabanzón is the best winger in Group 1 of Primera RFEF: he leads the division in expected assists (xA) per game (0.23) and completed crosses (2.68).
He also ranks 3rd in xG chain involvement and passes into the opposition's box (1.99 per game).
Like Celorio, he takes a high volume of shots, averaging 2.53 attempts per match.
However, in Cabanzón’s case, his productivity remains strong: he has recorded 3 goals and 3 assists. That said, he could generate more danger with his shots, as he only averages 0.1 xG per game.
His small height might be a limiting factor in making the leap to a higher level or playing in LaLiga Hypermotion with Ponferradina. But his footballing talent is undeniable.
