Almería's direct promotion hopes: A rare sight in uncharted territory
The Andalusian club has only reached the automatic promotion spots once in 23 matchdays this season, raising questions about their Segunda División credentials.
Almería’s quest for automatic promotion to La Liga faces an uphill battle as they’ve barely featured in the top two positions this season.
The promotion pattern problem
There’s a bit of a mare brewing down in Andalusia for UD Almería fans. Despite being among the favourites for promotion, Rubi’s men have only managed to reach the automatic promotion spots (top two) once in 23 matchdays - and that was back in matchday 12. They’ve been stuck in third gear, quite literally, occupying the third position six times this season.
This pattern doesn’t exactly scream “Premier League bound” - or Primera División bound, I should say. Their poor start to the campaign coupled with a two-month crisis has prevented them from establishing themselves among the division’s elite.
How the competition stacks up
When you compare Almería’s promotion credentials with their rivals, it makes for some proper grim reading:
- Racing Santander: 18 matchdays in automatic promotion spots
- Deportivo: 11 matchdays
- Las Palmas: 5 matchdays
- Even less fancied teams like Cádiz (4), Valladolid (2), Sporting (2), Castellón (2) and Burgos (1) have reached these positions as much or more than Almería
The only silver lining? Almería haven’t dropped out of the playoff positions since matchday 9 (except for that brief promotion spot appearance).
Historical promotion patterns
Looking at Almería’s previous promotions might offer some perspective. Their 2006/07 campaign under Unai Emery bears the closest resemblance to the current situation. Back then, they only reached the top two once in the first 23 matchdays (matchday 18) and were third six times - exactly like now. They ended up finishing second and securing promotion.
Their other promotions tell different stories:
- 2012/13: Occupied automatic promotion spots 12 times in the first 23 matchdays but finished third, eventually going up through the playoffs after beating Girona (ironically managed by current boss Rubi)
- 2021/22: A dominant first half saw them in the top two for 20 of the first 23 matchdays, eventually finishing as champions
Last season’s cautionary tale
Curiously, Almería were winter champions just last season and established themselves in automatic promotion positions between matchdays 19-23. However, they collapsed after January, finishing sixth before being knocked out in the playoff semi-finals by Oviedo.
So while their current promotion position scarcity might seem concerning, last season proved that early dominance doesn’t guarantee success either. Still, for a team with serious promotion ambitions, their rare appearances in the top two remains a proper head-scratcher.