UD Almería began their pre-season campaign with a triumph, defeating Águilas FC and lifting the Memorial Alfonso García Zapata trophy. Miguel de la Fuente netted the only goal of the game just after the restart, in a match where the Rojiblancos showed the first signs of the identity they want to build: a strong, competitive team that are solid at both ends of the pitch.

The new UD Almería strip for the 2026/27 season was unveiled on the pitch for the first time. The Indalo symbol featured on the design was represented by the team’s collective effort, as head coach García Pimienta used every player who travelled to Águilas and secured his first W as head coach, keeping a clean sheet and collecting several positive takeaways.

One of the standout performers was Quim Junyet. The young international’s pace and movement provided one of UD Almería’s main attacking threats during the opening half. Starting from the left wing despite being right-footed, he combined effectively with his team-mates, always looking to attack with directness while also showing commitment defensively. The instructions from the touchline were clear and the youngster delivered an impressive first appearance.

UD Almería created danger early from the left flank, with Nico Melamed coming close to opening the scoring in the 5th minute when his direct free-kick from the edge of the box narrowly missed the target.

Using his familiar 4-3-3 system, García Pimienta introduced Morcillo as a left-back to distribute minutes in that specific position. The Basque defender almost broke the deadlock within 14 minutes after cutting inside and firing a shot from distance that went just wide.

Moments later, in the 17th minute, UD Almería produced a high-quality attacking move. Quim attacked the Águilas box, changed direction with impressive explosiveness and avoided the goalkeeper before setting up Baba, whose effort was cleared off the line by a defender. From the rebound, Morcillo could not hit the target with his right-footed strike.

The Rojiblancos controlled the first half, creating chances without taking unnecessary risks and following one of their key principles: giving nothing away to the opposition. Águilas FC, who only began their pre-season training earlier this week, rarely threatened Andrés Fernández’s goal, with their only real attempt coming from a wayward volley by Raigal midway through the first half.

Second Half

The second half had barely started when Almería found the breakthrough. The referee’s whistle was followed moments later by another restart, as the Aguileños had to kick off again after Miguel de la Fuente put the visitors ahead.

The striker, now permanently a UD Almería player, reacted quickest to a Sergio Arribas flick-on in the centre of the pitch. After reaching the edge of the box, De la Fuente fired a powerful finish past Salcedo to score the winning goal.

While UD Almería’s main attacking outlet in the first half came down the left, the second period saw the team create more danger from the right side. Several attacking runs from Sola on the outside and Chirino moving inside produced promising situations, with Sergio Arribas once again controlling the tempo and providing creativity in midfield.

As the match progressed, stoppages increased and physical intensity became more prominent than attacking play. There were few clear chances, with the main moment of danger coming when Bruno Iribarne produced a fine save from Vinicius’ header.

Match information: 

Goal: 0-1 De la Fuente (46')

Águilas FC: Ivan Martínez; José Más, Adri Pérez, Yasser, Serrpeta, Raigal, Fromsa, Serrano, Heredia, Revuelta and Héctor Martínez. Substitutes: Salcedo, Terranova, Antonio Sánchez, Abenza, Chris Martínez, Javi Castedo, Alonso, Merchán, Ocheche, Carrillo, Fran, Alberto, Vinicius, Emilio and Sergio Martínez.

UD Almería: Andrés Fernández; Luna, Monte, Ely, Morcillo; Baba, Lopy, Melamed; Baptistao, Thalys and Quim. Substitutes: Bruno, Pulido, Álex Muñoz, Gui, Arribas, Bonini, Sola, Chirino, Embarba, De la Fuente, Dzódic and Popovic.

Referee: Clemente Ortuño (Yecla)

Attendance: Around 2,000 supporters, including hundreds of travelling UD Almería fans.

Final Score: Águilas FC 0-1 UD Almería