Rubi praises UD Almería's resilience in 1-1 draw against table-toppers Dépor
The UD Almería head coach credits team for holding their ground at the Abanca-Riazor stadium in La Coruña
UD Almería head coach Joan Francesc Ferrer Sicilia, known as Rubi, expressed his satisfaction with the team's performance in their 1-1 draw against league leaders RC Deportivo de La Coruña. Reflecting on the match during the post-game press conference, Rubi emphasised the value of the point earned, noting that his side showed character in the dying embers.
'I give a lot of credit to the draw we achieved against the current league leaders. After taking the lead, we felt victory was within reach. Deportivo deserved the equaliser and I consider the result to be fair,' the Catalan explained.
The gaffer acknowledged the high level of competition, saying: 'It was a very tactical and high-level match, thanks to the quality players on both teams.' However, Rubi also admitted that his team lacked the finishing touch on several opportunities. 'We were missing that extra bit of finesse in the final third, and we had fewer chances than usual,' he added.
After taking a 1-0 lead into half-time, UD Almería faced a strong response from Deportivo, who leveled the score with a brilliant goal early in the second half. 'They had a burst of energy at the start of the second half and scored a great equaliser, but the substitutions we made helped us regain some consistency,' Rubi explained.
The Vilassar de Mar native praised his players' composure in the closing stages of the match, saying: 'I really appreciate that we didn’t hide. In the end, we had possession, which isn’t easy against a team like Deportivo, especially with the rocking atmosphere in their stadium.'
Rubi also noted the significance of scoring against an unbeaten Deportivo side at the Abanca-Riazor: 'We were close to being the first team to beat them this season. We continue to perform well and there are many reasons to be chuffed.'