1–2: UD Almería fall to Dépor in counter-attacking comeback
Despite taking the lead through Baptistão, the Rojiblancos were undone by their own mistakes as RC Deportivo de La Coruña struck back on the break to claim victory down south
UD Almería made a poor start to the second half of the season, losing at home to direct rivals RC Deportivo de La Coruña, who completed a comeback built on ruthless counter-attacking. It was a night to forget for the Rojiblancos, who, far from capitalising on their early advantage, lacked fluency and control. Yeremay proved to be their undoing, the defeat a fitting punishment for errors made against threats they should have anticipated.
The match kicked off as a contradiction. Dépor dominated possession and used the ball patiently, while UD Almería struck first in the 12th minute through a perfectly executed counter-attack. Léo Baptistão opened the scoring with a striker’s finish, following a sublime piece of play from Embarba. Receiving with his back to goal, the winger spun sharply and slipped a left-footed pass between the lines to the false No. 9. Baptistão did the rest: two feints to unbalance the defender before steering a composed shot into the far corner.
The Herculinos responded swiftly and in the 22nd minute, sought their revenge, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Yeremay mirrored Embarba’s move, driving forward and releasing Quagliata down the left. His low cross found Eddachouri alone at the penalty spot, but the striker squandered the chance, allowing keeper Andrés Fernández to escape unpunished.
From then on, UD Almería’s small problems began to accumulate. Losses of possession in dangerous areas, coupled with haste and disorganisation, and Deportivo’s high technical quality, led to a disjointed and uncharacteristic display from the hosts. Even so, the Rojiblancos remained the greater threat before the break, with efforts from Horta, who was the only change to the starting XI after CD Mirandés, and Baptistão, reaching half-time with a Pyrrhic lead that had cost them control.
The second half began with UD Almería protecting their narrow advantage, but any hopes of building on it were short-lived. With 48 minutes on the clock, Yeremay burst forward from his own half and, after just 3 touches, finished clinically to make it 1–1.
That textbook counter-attack became Deportivo’s blueprint. After a couple of earlier warnings, Yeremay again caused havoc with his pace, this time setting up Mulattieri, who struck the decisive goal 10 minutes from time (1-2).
UD Almería failed to respond. Emergency introductions for January signings Miguel de la Fuente and Jon Morcillo did little to shift the momentum, and despite the presence of Nico Melamed, returning after 2 months on the treatment table and Thalys leading the line, the home side never looked capable of forcing a leveller.
In the end, the Indálicos suffered their first defeat of 2026, opening the second half of the 2025/26 season in the worst possible way.