Centre-back Jorge Pulido was the only new addition to the UD Almería squad to feature in the starting XI for the opening league match against CD Eldense. The defender from Toledo, who spent the last few seasons with SD Huesca, partnered Bonini at the heart of the defence and played all 96 minutes of the match.

Quim Junyent and Brian Cipenga were then introduced in the second half amid great anticipation, followed later by Mikel Vesga. The only new signings who did not feature were Popović and Álex Sola.

New head coach Xavier García Pimienta opted to begin with a side largely built around last season's squad. However, he later explained at his press conference that they had selected the XI they considered most suitable for this particular opening fixture.

As he also pointed out, several players who could have featured were left on the bench. Cipenga and Vesga were not ready to play many minutes; Cipenga had only recently returned from the World Cup, while Vesga had suffered an injury during the final part of pre-season.

There is still a long way to go and everyone will have their opportunity. For now, the gaffer is happy with the squad at his disposal, although he made it clear that there is always room for improvement: 'I'm happy with everyone in the squad, but if someone comes in to improve it, even better.'