Rubi: 'The team is fired up and will arrive in Granada full of confidence'
The UD Almería head coach warns of a ‘well-organised and high-quality’ Granada CF side but insists strong fan backing will boost UD Almería’s motivation
'The team is fired up and will arrive in Granada full of confidence,' said UD Almería head coach Joan Francesc Ferrer Sicilia 'Rubi' in his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday’s 4:15pm clash at the Nuevo Los Cármenes stadium.
UD Almería currently boast the second-best home record in the league, while ranking 6th away from home, having lost their last two matches on the road. Addressing this, the gaffer admitted: 'It’s true we’ve found it a bit harder to win away, although it’s never easy, especially in the second half of the season. We know we’ll need victories on the road to achieve our objective, but we’ve reached 64 points playing our way.'
Rubi made his intentions clear ahead of the derby: 'We’re going to Granada to win, losing is not in our mindset. Having more than 1,000 fans there, along with the presence of the Club’s management, motivates us even more.'
The Catalan also highlighted his side’s strong performances in regional clashes: 'We’ve been the best team in Andalusian derbies this season, and these matches really excite the players. They’re small steps towards our final goal.'
Speaking about Granada CF, who sit comfortably on 45 points and close to securing survival, he warned: 'They’ve done what was needed to stay up. They’re a well-organised team, they play football brilliantly and they’ll want to finish the season strongly.' He also pointed out the added difficulty of facing wounded opponents after their 4-1 defeat in Albacete: 'Their head coach is a great motivator and that result makes them even more dangerous. At home, Granada CF are a strong side... they’ve scored 5 goals twice and 4 in another game.'