UD Almería head coach Joan Francesc Ferrer Sicilia 'Rubi' has underlined the importance of the home crowd ahead of the second leg of the promotion play-off tie against CD Castellón, calling on supporters to play their part in helping the team reach the next stage.

'The pressure that the atmosphere in Castellón put on us was clear to see and now it's our turn. I ask every UD Almería supporter who can make it to come and cheer with all their strength because we need them,' said Rubi.

The gaffer placed particular emphasis on the role of the fans: 'At this stage, supporters need to come and support the team, not overthink things. I ask them to cheer, cheer and cheer and whatever has to happen on the pitch will happen.'

Rubi also assessed the footballing aspects of the encounter and identified where his side must improve: 'I want us to create more danger when we have the ball because that's where we fell short in the first leg. The result we brought back is a positive one, but we're remaining cautious because we'll have to work extremely hard throughout the match.'

The Catalan added: 'We'll try to give a little bit more so they suffer in and around their own penalty area. The players have to give it their all on the pitch, keep running until the end and make the right decisions.'

UD Almería will progress with either a victory or a draw, although Rubi insists that possibility is not shaping the team's approach. 'It's a small advantage that we've earned, but we're not preparing for the game with a draw in mind. We also don't believe it will force them to take significantly more risks,' he stated.

The UD Almería head coach also revealed the team's ambitions for the game: 'Our plan is to take the lead and why not, score more than once. The psychological boost we gained from the first-leg result would become even stronger if we score first. We'll do everything we can to put ourselves in front as early as possible.'