2-1: How unfair football is sometimes!
Almeria have Espanyol 'on the ropes', but end up losing after a spot kick in the last minutes. The Rojiblancos remain third in the table
UD Almería suffered against Espanyol the injustice of football. The Rojiblancos, who had to fight back to turn the game around after Raúl de Tomás’ 8-minute goal, dominated during the majority of the match to the point of having the home team 'on the ropes'. With 83 minutes on the clock, the Pericos achieved the final 2-1 from 12 yards in a match with high quality displayed by two potential candidates for promotion to the top flight. Almeria wave goodbye to 2020 sitting third in the table.
Although the team led by José Gomes began the top-of-table clash with character determined to beat goalie Diego López, the RCDE Stadium witnessed one of the best goals of the season in which Raúl de Tomás put Makaridze to the test, who was a fit-again starter after recovering from a minor injury- with a shot from a midfield cross.
With 1-0 on the scoreboard, Almería were being more dominant. At first, the Rojiblancos only bossed things in terms of ball possession and movement in the attacking third. This is how the plays were staged on until just before the interval, Umar Sadiq nearly found the equaliser with a kick that hit the woodwork.
The Indalicos became the best version of themselves with the arrival of the second half. So much so that, after a sensational action, Akieme’s cross turned into a penalty when it touched the hand of a defender. José Corpas was in charge of levelling the scoring, netting his eighth goal of the campaign on 50 minutes.
The 1-1 draw gave more freedom to UD Almería, who tried over an over to create danger on the opposing goal. The Rojiblancos’ combinations returned to the scene, yet the Spanish keeper played the saviour role in a header from striker Sadiq to João Carvalho’s cross.
The visitors were deserving the goal against one of the best teams in the second tier, who were also showing high quality. However, it was the 81st minute, when the game was on its final stretch and the ref signalled Cuenca’s penalty on Fran Mérida. Penalty-taker Raúl de Tomás converted from the spot (2-1).
The scoreboard would not change again and the Rojiblancos left the RCDE Stadium with that feeling. Football can be really unfair sometimes and this time denied Almeria a victory, since they merited a better result in a match with the first place in the table at stake.
UD Almería remain third after the last matchday of 2020 in LaLiga SmartBank. The players from Almeria, who will return to the competition hosting Ponferradina at the Juegos Mediterraneos Stadium, close out 2020 three points behind the automatic promotion spots and four away from topping the table standings.