UD Almería begin their Spanish Cup journey with a clear message from Xavier García Pimienta: show the utmost respect for the opposition and leave nothing to chance. The head coach has warned of the challenge posed by UD Castellonense, a fourth-tier Segunda RFEF side enjoying an excellent start to the season and set to play the tie in front of their home fans.

'From my experience, if you don't take these matches seriously, you can end up having a very difficult time. We'll be fully focused,' he said. 

The gaffer also made his expectations clear: 'I expect the very best because every time we wear this shirt, we have a duty to compete and try to perform to the best of our abilities'.

García Pimienta is fully aware of the difference in league levels, but he made it clear that such differences disappear when a team fails to approach the game with the necessary intensity. 'There are always surprises; always', he reminded his players, before underlining: 'In football, everything becomes equal if you don't show intensity'. In this respect, he believes it is essential for his side to be fully focused from the off and deliver a performance built on maximum concentration to secure their place in the next round.

The Barcelona-born also praised UD Castellonense's progress, highlighting their recent achievements. 'They've secured successive promotions in recent years and are currently near the top of their league. It looks like a project that's doing things very well', he said. García Pimienta believes they are 'a club on the rise, with players who have a very clear understanding of what they need to do on the pitch'.

One of the particular challenges in this first-round tie will be the artificial turf on which the match will be played. 'It won't be an excuse of any kind. We'll adapt to the pitch', he stated, playing down the significance of the playing surface.

As for team selection, the Rojiblancos' head coach also confirmed that 'there will be a few changes given the short turnaround before the match against Real Oviedo and the accumulation of playing time. It's certainly an opportunity for players who have had fewer minutes, because everyone deserves to play', he explained. He also announced that players from the reserve team would be included in the travelling squad. 'One or two lads from UD Almería 'B' will travel with us to help the team', he added.

With 2 away fixtures on the schedule this week, UD Almería will also travel to face SD Eibar for Saturday's league match. However, the gaffer was adamant about keeping his team's focus on the immediate challenge: 'Honestly, we're thinking only about tomorrow's match because the demands will be very high. Otherwise, we won't get through the tie.'