'We're having a strong moment and we want to show it in Vallecas,' stressed UD Almería head coach Rubi during the pre-Rayo press conference. Monday's game will be the first reverse fixture and he argued 'the team is confident. This is a good moment for us in the league and we're going to see if we can extend it,' although at the same time, he admitted 'we're going to face very tough opponents on a pitch where the fans are right behind them as a 12th Man. Real Madrid CF lost there.'

When asked about Rayo Vallecano, Rubi praised the work of gaffer Iraola, and commented 'they're usually very comfortable on their field; They press high fabulously and send a lot of crosses into the area, creating danger. This is something we have to block.'

The Vilassar de Mar native stressed 'we're going to try to make them uncomfortable and prevent them from imposing their idea of ​​​​the game to impose ours.' Rubi highlighted that UD Almería are growing and that his team has improved a lot, among other aspects, at a technical level 'because of the competition within the squad' that makes each and every player try to improve on an individual level.

The Rojiblancos' boss was also asked about the situation in which César de la Hoz finds himself, after UD Almería Managing Director Mohamed El Assy announced that he was not going to continue at the Club next season as the co-captain had not accepted up to three deal renewal offers made by UD Almería. On that subject, Rubi said: 'I'm very calm. César is always a great player No.7. He's very focused. He's a priceless asset to the team. Maybe when the talks started a month ago, he might have been a bit nervous, but he's performed well. In addition, that nervousness is now over.'