0-1: Pepe Mel pulls it off at the first attempt
At long last UD Almería have earned the first victory of the 2023/24 season in the new head coach's debut. The Madrid-born included fresh faces in his first UD Almería starting XI and handed out homegrown player Marcos Peña his first senior-team start
UD Almería finally gathered and enjoyed the fruits of an afternoon in which they worked as a complete unit and washed away the stain of a frustrating winless run. Léo Baptistão's opener with a solid defense and Maximiano's sharp reflexes earned the Rojiblancos their first win of the 2023/24 season on the island. Newly appointed head coach Pepe Mel, in just four days, has changed the mentality of the players and with his motto of enjoying each game, he has managed to get the UD Almeria footballers to do so and have been able to win. Mr Mel pulled it off at the first attempt.
Pepe Mel's first UD Almería starting XI included fresh faces, but one stood out above the rest; Almeria-born home-grown player Marcos Peña's first-team debut. In defence, Montes replaced Edgar while Baptistão operated as a No. 9 in place of Choco Lozano. Robertone also regained a starting spot.
The game kicked off and as it was expected, the Canarian side started with the greatest possession of the ball and the Rojiblancos trying to win it back. Despite not having control of the match, in the 14th minute, Ramazani, after a great solo play on the right wing, provided Baptistão with a inch-perfect assist so that the Brazilian beat the Amarillo team's goalkeeper.
The islanders tried to find a response, began to create dangerous situations and were about to level it up through Sandro, however, a saving foot from Maximiano denied him. The Indálicos also whipped in their chances on the counter-attack to double their lead, although without the necessary fortune for them to find the back of the net. UD Las Palmas continued to take the game to the guests, but the effective defensive display by the Rojiblancos helped them reach half-time in front (0-1).
The second forty-five minutes saw UD Las Palmas focused on the attack and with UD Almería parking the bus, but with options to finish the game with good quick transition plays. However, the islanders took control of the ball and began to engineer clear goal-scoring chances; many of them from the edge of the area with powerful shots, but Maximiano was on fire blocking every effort. The Canarians also sought to create danger on the wings, but nothing could done as they were stopped by a rock-solid defence.
As time began to wind down, UD Almería continued to enjoy a narrow lead over UD Las Palmas and wondered if today was going to be that long-awaited day. Well, to the delirium of the Club, players, coaching staff and devoted fans...UD Almería broke their hoodoo and clinched their first win of the 2023/24 season at last, after 28 winless Matchdays. The Rojiblancos will pack their suitcases with three massive points. UD Almería never give up!
