UD Almería are showing strength in several areas that had been lacking for some time. The team have now won 4 games in a row, including back-to-back victories away from home, while clean sheets have become a key part of their success, with the lads keeping the opposition out in more than half of their matches.

UD Almería defender Chumi spoke to the media about the team's defensive work and the importance of staying solid at the back: 'Our philosophy hasn't changed. In Segunda, you must be strong defensively and try not to concede because there are games when you won't be at your best or when you won't be able to score 2 or 3 goals. Some matches are won by staying together and keeping a clean sheet, if possible.'

The centre-back also highlighted the commitment shown by the whole squad when it comes to defending. 'Clean sheets can be misleading because sometimes you can put in a really good defensive performance and still concede. This season, the whole team understands that we must stay compact and avoid conceding too many goals. I can see that everyone is committed to defending,' he explained.

The Laracha native has experienced more than his fair share of setbacks. The defender was open about the difficult spell he went through last season, when injuries repeatedly disrupted his campaign. 'Last year was really difficult for me. I had one injury after another and it had been a long time since I'd been able to enjoy playing a full match. Now, things are going well and we're winning, so I'm over the moon,' he stated.

The 27-year-old was also honest about just how tough that period had been: 'I didn't have a good time, to be honest. It was practically a whole year without starting a game, so being back out there now is a great feeling.'

Even pre-season brought another scare, with Chumi briefly fearing that his injury problems were starting all over again. 'The first thing I thought was that it was happening again. I had been feeling good and then I had a small setback. It wasn't a muscle injury or anything serious, but I did think, 'Here we go again.' Thankfully, I'm now fully recovered from the broken nose and I'm back to 100% with the mask,' Chumi stressed.

His performances have been a major positive and Chumi is now looking ahead to the visit of the Castilians: 'Burgos CF have been doing things really well for several seasons and they're always competitive. Last year they came very close to reaching the play-offs. It's going to be a tough game and they're going to make us work hard.'

Chumi also believes the depth within the squad is one of the team's strengths this season: 'This year, I wouldn't say we have a better or worse squad, but I reckon there's a lot of competition for places in every position. There isn't much difference between the players who start and those who don't. When we rotate, you don't really notice it. That keeps everyone focused and pushes us all to keep improving.'