Román takes the only trophy in a lacklustre afternoon

The afternoon began with Curro Díaz welcoming his first bull with elegant verónicas, earning the first cheers from the stands. The bull initially showed class but faded quickly after the two pujazos (spearings by the picador). Díaz did all he could to find isolated moments of quality, but the increasingly sluggish and wary animal ended up tossing him in a nasty-looking fall while attempting a natural pass. Fortunately, there were no consequences. He finished off with a slightly low sword thrust and was applauded.

In his second appearance, Díaz had no chance to shine with the cape, and the Bohórquez bull offered little more in the muleta, especially on the right. He opted to work with the left, crafting several excellent natural passes to a bull that was slowing with every charge. He remained composed, squeezing every ounce of fight the animal had. A solid showing from the Linares-born torero, acknowledged with another ovation.

Rubén Pinar faced a noble but weak bull first. He interpreted the bull well, working with rhythm and drawing out some pleasing passes, though the lack of excitement meant it never lifted off. A well-placed sword earned him an ovation.

The fifth bull, large and imposing, arrived with no real engine. Pinar found no collaboration, and despite his effort, he couldn’t create anything meaningful. The bull gave nothing, and he ended the fight with a solid sword but no further reward.

Román had already made an impression with a tight gaonera quite during the second bull. With his first, he handled the verónicas confidently and dedicated the fight to the crowd. He began from afar, linking two strong right-handed series that built in intensity and were met with music from the band. In the next series, he stood firm against some difficult charges, and the left side proved unworkable. He returned to the right, finishing an honest and committed faena with tight bernardinas and a well-placed sword that earned him the first ear of the afternoon.

He came out for the sixth full of intent, starting with a portagayola, hoping to round off his triumph. Sadly, the final bull had no quality and fought defensively throughout. Román stood his ground and managed a few brave left-handed passes, but the bull refused to engage with the muleta and even showed danger. There was no way to round things off, and he left to silence.