CD Castellón, who finished 6th in LaLiga Hypermotion, will be UD Almería's opponents in the promotion play-off semi-finals after the regular season concluded on Sunday. The other semi-final will see 4th-placed Málaga CF take on 5th-placed UD Las Palmas.

UD Almería achieved their first objective by securing 3rd place in the standings, a position that gives them home advantage and means that, if the aggregate score is level after both legs, they will progress without the need for a penalty shootout.

UD Almería's play-off campaign begins next Saturday at 9pm at SkyFi Castalia stadium. The return leg will be played at the UD Almería Stadium on Tuesday, 9 June, also at 9pm Spanish Time. Although it falls on a working day, promotion to the top flight will be on the line as the battle intensifies in a direct head-to-head showdown.

The Indálicos completed the first step by finishing 3rd, but to achieve it and even to secure a place in the play-offs, they had to suffer until the very end. As results unfolded throughout the afternoon, UD Almería slipped down the live standings. First they dropped to 4th, then 5th, then 6th and even 7th.

At half-time across the grounds, all of their direct rivals were winning and UD Almería found themselves outside the play-off positions, with their promotion hopes hanging by a thread. They needed just one goal, knowing their destiny remained in their own hands.

That decisive moment finally arrived in the 57th minute when Sergio Arribas calmly converted a penalty, sending the UD Almería Stadium into celebration and securing the place they had fought so hard to earn.

Now the focus shifts to CD Castellón as UD Almería begin the next stage of their quest for promotion. With 3rd place secured, home advantage in their favour and belief running high throughout the squad, Rubi's side are ready to fight for a place in the play-off final and continue their push towards a return to the top tier.