UD Almería suffered a 2-0 defeat to Granada CF in their second pre-season friendly, despite producing enough chances in the second half to deserve at least a draw. After dominating large spells following the interval, the Rojiblancos were punished for their missed opportunities as Granada CF sealed the result late on. The biggest setback of the evening, however, was the injury to Léo Baptistão, who was forced off after an unfortunate fall and left the pitch in obvious pain.

More than results, pre-season is about exposing teams to different match situations and testing their responses. The only way out of a maze is to go through it, and UD Almería, less match-sharp and with fewer friendlies under their belt than their opponents, had to adapt. They struggled to settle early on but gradually grew into the contest.

Granada CF took the lead after just 5 minutes. A quick move down the left ended with Angelo delivering a cross that Jorge Pascual converted from inside the box to make it 1-0. The hosts had started brightly, pinning UD Almería back with an aggressive high press, and their positive opening was rewarded after a couple of early warning signs.

Head coach García Pimienta looked to stretch the pitch through the wide areas, but his side struggled to establish possession and use the flanks effectively. Granada CF dictated territory throughout the opening stages, playing with purpose and posing a constant attacking threat.

UD Almería took time to find their rhythm after the 2-hour journey and did not threaten the Granada CF penalty area until after the 10-minute mark. Álex Sola came closest to an equaliser with a move that mirrored Granada CF's opener almost exactly. His cross from the left eventually resulted in a corner, from which Dzódiz's tame effort was comfortably gathered by Luca Zidane.

Pacheta's side continued to create openings without making them count. Arnaiz failed to connect with another dangerous cross from the right in the 20th minute, while Pascual also headed wide from a corner.

That was when UD Almería were presented with the chance to show how they would respond. Gradually, inch by inch, they tightened up defensively by keeping their lines closer together. Their best opportunity arrived in the 26th minute when Miguel de la Fuente brilliantly dispossessed Lama on the edge of the Granada area before bursting through on goal. However, Zidane stood firm to deny the striker with his body.

It was UD Almería's clearest chance of the first half and, from that point onwards, the game became what pre-season friendlies often are: open from end to end but lacking composure in the final third.

Second half

García Pimienta changed his entire starting XI at the break, and with it the momentum of the game.

Luna on the right and Morcillo on the left immediately gave UD Almería greater width. In fact, Morcillo almost levelled the scores moments after the restart, but his powerful effort flew over the crossbar.

With a more technically gifted lineup on the pitch, the Indálicos began to move the ball with greater confidence and spent much more time in the opposition half. Quick combinations and neat passing sequences repeatedly opened spaces, while Melamed's movement, Quim's versatility and Thalys' work as the focal point helped create several dangerous deliveries into the Granada CF box, although none produced the equaliser.

Then came the evening's biggest concern.

In the 66th minute, Léo Baptistão went down after being brought down by Stoichkov while driving forward at pace. The Brazilian captain landed awkwardly on his ribs, and his immediate reaction suggested the injury was more serious than a simple knock. His painful exit from the pitch, accompanied by the Club's medical staff, was an unwelcome sight for everyone connected with UD Almería.

The incident appeared to disrupt the rhythm of the match, with both sides struggling to regain any attacking fluency. The contest entered a scrappier phase, full of effort but short on quality, until UD Almería mounted one final push during the closing stages.

The Rojiblancos produced their most dangerous spell in the final ten minutes.

Pulido nearly equalised in the 80th minute when he met a perfectly delivered Morcillo set-piece with a header, only to see his effort go narrowly wide. Just a minute later, Quim produced an excellent individual run before Luna delivered another inviting cross, but Baba's powerful finish failed to find the target.

Horta also came agonisingly close to making it 1-1. The Portuguese midfielder exchanged a clever one-two with Melamed before racing through on goal, but his finish lacked the necessary power to beat Lizoain.

Granada CF, by contrast, were ruthless when their opportunity arrived. In the 90th minute, Aleman reacted quickest to a loose ball inside the area and simply tapped into an empty net to wrap up a 2-0 victory.

UD Almería therefore suffered their first defeat of pre-season, but they left Los Cármenes stadium with the feeling that they had responded well after a difficult start and had done enough particularly after the break to deserve more than the final scoreline.

Match information

Granada CF: Luca; Diallo, Lama, Oscar Naasei, Angelo; Hormigo, Alcaraz, Gambín; Rodelas, Arnaiz, Jorge Pascual.

UD Almería: Andrés; Álex Muñoz, Nélson Monte, Popovic, Chirino; Dzódiz, Gui, Embarba, Arribas, Álex Sola; Miguel de la Fuente.

Goals: 1-0 Jorge Pascual (5'); 2-0 Alemañ (90').

Referee: Rafael Sánchez López (Andalusian FA). Yellow cards: Diallo (Granada); Lopy (Almería).

Venue: Pre-season friendly played at Nuevo Los Cármenes stadium.