1-1: UD Almería never give up… not even in friendlies

The slogan 'UD Almería never give up' is well worth summarising the friendly that the Rojiblancos played in Cartagena in the  'Carabela de Plata' Trophy, which they lost in the penalty shootout. Rubi's side, who gained momentum, put effort, drive and desire to tie a match that soon became difficult, but in 90+1', they equalised due to the faith that all the players put in, regardless of what happened later from 12 yards. Another conclusion is that UD Almeria must know what awaits them in LaLiga Hypermotion because a veteran rivals with experienced players in the second tier made things very complicated for them.

UD Almería did not start the game well since after 11 minutes, they conceded the 1-0 when Jairo opened the scoring inside the area without any opposition. The Rojiblancos came up against experienced opponents, well organised and pressing very high up, which made Rubi's team uncomfortable on the pitch. Little by little, they stepped up momentum and had more and more possession, although without creating danger or bringing the good vibes of previous pre-season matches. It is true that FC Cartagena's lines were very close together and did not provide facilities. 

Head coach Rubi made 6 changes at the start in the second half, a period in which UD Almería improved having more ball possession, taking the initiative, fluidity in their game and making their presence known in the final third, especially through Léo Baptistão, the pre-season top scorer, who when the match was already in stoppage time, grabbed the tie with a thumping header, so the 'Carabela de Plata' Trophy had to be decided on penalties, where FC Cartagena had maximum effectiveness, while Ramazani regretted his spot-kick failure. Taking into account that the off-season results are the least important, the improvement in the second half and above all  the fighting spirit to level things up is remarkable. The Belgian was the only player who played the full 90 minutes since in addition to the 6 substitutions at the beginning of the second half, Rubi made 4 more as the game progressed.

After this 6th friendly match, the squad starts the last training week of the 2024/25 pre-season this Monday (9:45am). 

Match information

FC Cartagena: Pablo Cuñat, Aguirregabaría, Nikola Sipcic, Pedro Alcalá, Ríos Reina, Sergio Guerrero, Damián Musto; Cedric, Juan Carlos Real, Jairo; and Alfredo Ortuño. Fuidías, Vukcevic, Juanjo Narváez, Kiko Olivas, Andy, Baldo, Carmelo, Moreno, Puche, Checo and Andúgar also played. 

UD Almería: Maximiano (Fernando, 45'); Arnau Puigmal (Pozo, 45'), Chumi (Marcos Peña, 80'), César Montes (Kaiky, 45'), Alex Centelles (Bruno Langa, 70'); Lopy (Rachad, 80'), Baba (Edgar, 70'); Ramazani, Melero (Robertone, 45'), Nico Melamed (Léo Baptistão, 45'); and Luis Suárez (Marezi, 45'). 

Referee: José María Sánchez Martínez, First Division referee from the Murcia Referees Association. He booked Vukcevic, from FC Cartagena, as well as Lopy, Ramazani, Centelles and Bruno Langa, from UD Almería. 

Goals: 1-0 (11'). Jairo receives within the box alone and slotted home. 1-1 (90+1'). Bruno Langa crossed in from the left flank, and Léo Baptistão, with a thumping header, tied the game. 

Penalties: Andy (Cartagena): Goal. Léo Baptistyao (Almería): Goal. Narváez (Cartagena): Goal. Ramazani (UD Almería): spot-kick failure.Kiko Olivas (Cartagena): Goal. Marcos Peña (Almería): Goal. Vukcevic (Cartagena): Goal. Kaiky (Almería): Goal. Moreno (Cartagena): Goal. 

Observations: UD Almería's 6th pre-season match played at the Cartagonova Municipal Stadium, located in Cartagena, with the 52nd edition of the 'Calabera de Plata' Trophy at stake. Around 5,000 fans, with the presence of travelling UD Almería supporters. A minute of silence was observed in memory of Emmanuel Dapaah, a 17-year-old boy who drowned on Las Sirenas beach in La Manga town.