San José rallies Eibar troops ahead of crucial Ipurua double-header
Eibar manager Beñat San José eyes home comforts against Almería as the Basque side look to build momentum with back-to-back fixtures at their fortress.
Eibar return to their Ipurua fortress this weekend, desperate to make home advantage count after their continuing away day blues has left them short of points on their travels.
Home comforts crucial for struggling Armeros
The Basque outfit find themselves in a proper pickle after picking up just a solitary point from their last two away fixtures. With their away form in tatters, the pressure’s mounting on Beñat San José’s men to deliver the goods on their own patch.
Fortunately for the Armeros, they’ve got two consecutive home matches coming up against Almería and Sporting - the perfect opportunity to replicate their recent home success where they managed consecutive victories against Valladolid and Mirandés at the turn of the year.
Those back-to-back wins represent the only time all season that Eibar have strung together consecutive victories - highlighting just how crucial these upcoming fixtures could be for their campaign.
Almería test a proper barometer
San José isn’t taking Sunday’s opponents lightly, acknowledging the significant challenge posed by an Almería side pushing for promotion:
“It’s our first home match of the second half of the season, which makes it massive for us,” the Donostia-born gaffer explained. “We’re going all out because while Almería are among the category’s best teams, we’re ambitious and want to prove we can compete at that level.”
The manager will have to navigate this crucial fixture without Álvaro Rodríguez, but remains focused on delivering a performance that will send the Ipurua faithful home happy.
Season-defining fortnight ahead
The statistics make for some Adam and Eve reading - Eibar currently sit six points worse off than at the same stage last season. However, there’s still plenty of football to be played, and these back-to-back home fixtures could define their campaign.
Two positive results would dramatically shift the mood around the club, while dropping points at home would seriously complicate their league position. Their poor away record means they simply must be near-perfect at Ipurua.
With the team currently languishing below mid-table, San José’s rallying cry is clear - it’s time to demonstrate they belong among the division’s elite, starting with Sunday’s clash against an Almería side with promotion aspirations.