UD Almería head coach Xavier García Pimienta knows all about what it means to face a 'B' team such as RC Celta Fortuna. His experience working with Academy teams has given him a clear understanding of the football these youngsters bring to the pitch.

‘My time working with 'B' teams means I know the type of football these players have in their boots. They’re young, they’re coming off a promotion and they’ve been doing things very well over the last few seasons,’ he explained during his pre-match press conference ahead of Matchday 6.

The UD Almería gaffer highlighted the qualities of the Galicia-based side: ‘They’re quick, they have quality, they draw you out and they’re aggressive. If you’re not at 110%, they’ll run right over you’.

García Pimienta was equally emphatic about the need to remain fully focused ahead of the home fixture: ‘They suffered a very heavy defeat the other day, but that was because SD Eibar made the most of every mistake they made and that’s not normal. Anyone who thinks we’re going to beat them easily because of that defeat is in for a very unpleasant surprise’.

The message from the Barcelona native was clear: ‘We actually need to be more focused than ever’.

UD Almería’s defensive work has raised the team’s performance levels this season. Asked about that improvement, García Pimienta referred to the most recent game as an example: ‘I’m proactive and I like having the ball because it allows us to take the initiative. The more possession we have, the more time we have for the things we want to happen in the game to happen. That said, the opposition can take the ball away from you, as happened to us in Córdoba and I want us to be prepared for that’.

On this point, the Catalan head coach was particularly clear: ‘We won there because we adapted. I want us to be versatile. We defended well and we defended together. We were organised. We were mentally prepared for it’.

García Pimienta also confirmed that Rodrigo Ely will miss the game due to an ankle inflammation, while Dzódic is expected to be available: ‘He took a small knock last Monday, but in principle he’ll be available for the game’.