First Team
Never before has race for promotion been as close as current standings.
UD Almería are 6th within the play-offs zone, with automatic promotion 3 points away, although they have powerful rivals nipping at their heels. The goal difference acquires great relevance
After 27 matches, never before have the top-six teams been separated by such a small margin. There are 15 LaLiga Hypermotion fixtures to go and the table is one the most congested in years. There is an epic scrap developing for automatic and play-offs spots as other teams are climbing up positions in their quest for promotion.
UD Almería are on a 5-game winless streak, but Monday's hard-fought point against direct rivals Elche CF, together with their excellent, well-deserved reputation after being unbeaten in 14 games, has allowed the Indálicos to remain among the best in the Segunda tier.
Now Rubi's men sit 6th within play-off places and they are only 3 points adrift from automatic promotion, without forgetting that they have better goal difference than the Elche natives, something that in the end can be tremendously relevant.
UD Almería lost to Real Oviedo and shared the spoils with Elche CF. They still have to play with CD Mirandés whom they defeated in the first leg, another share of the points with Racing de Santander, a loss against Levante UD and a win over Granada CF.
Since the current competition system was implemented in the 2010/11 campaign, the table has never been so congested, especially when the 7th and 8th ranked teams keep up the pace with their opponents ahead. In the 2015/16 campaign, the gap between first and sixth was 6 points, which is the difference that can be closest to the current one. The biggest gap was 19 points in the past 2012/13.
Rubi agrees with the Elche CF gaffer , Eder Sarabia, that at this point everything requires much more effort. Both said it in the press conference after the match and it is demonstrated every week because it is difficult to have the desired consistency, which is precisely what UD Almería are looking for.
The Rojiblancos finished the first half of the season as Christmas leaders following a spectacular bouncebackability because on Matchday 9 they were endangered in the drop zone. In the return fixtures, they have bagged 6 of the 18 points played, the same as at the beginning of the season: 1 W, 3 D and 2 L.
The Indálicos are in the LaLiga Hypermotion top-six, but they cannot ignore what is happening behind them either. 7th-placed Levante UD are one point away; Granada CF are 8th nipping at their heels 3 points behind. Sporting de Gijón and Cádiz CF, although further away, do not seem to give up in the race for promotion. The Asturianos are actually the next rivals. This league is in full swing!