Almería eye promotion charge with favourable fixture run
With three of their next four matches at home, Almería look to build on consecutive wins and finally break into the automatic promotion spots in Segunda División.
After weathering the storm both literally and metaphorically, Almería are finally seeing clearer skies ahead in their promotion push.
Back-to-back wins restore confidence
The Mediterranean outfit have turned a corner after a dodgy patch between December and January threatened to derail their season. Back-to-back victories against Ceuta and Cádiz have injected some much-needed belief into the squad, with defender Álex Muñoz acknowledging a significant mentality shift within the camp.
Manager Rubi couldn’t have timed this resurgence better, labelling this upcoming stretch as “the most important moment of the season.” The next ten fixtures will determine whether Almería are genuine contenders for automatic promotion or merely playoff hopefuls.
Home comforts on the horizon
The fixture computer has been rather kind to the rojiblancos, with three of their next four matches to be played at the UD Almería Stadium:
- vs Andorra (home) - This Friday
- vs Córdoba (home) - Following matchday
- vs Albacete (away) - Matchday 28
- vs Cultural Leonesa (home) - Upon return to Almería
What makes this run even more appealing is that apart from Córdoba, who are battling for a playoff spot, the remaining opponents are languishing in mid-table or lower. It’s a proper opportunity if I’ve ever seen one.
The time is now
Rubi’s assessment is spot on when he says this stretch “could give us that fifth chance to attack the top two positions.” Remarkably, Almería have only occupied an automatic promotion spot once in the 25 matchdays so far this season.
There’s additional cause for optimism as current second-placed Castellón face a brutal run of fixtures against promotion rivals Deportivo, Las Palmas and Racing in consecutive matches.
If Almería can handle their business against supposedly weaker opposition, they might finally break into those coveted top two spots. After months of knocking on the door, the next few weeks could be when they finally pick the lock.