UD Almería visit Mestalla Stadium with a winning mentality
This will be the Indálicos' 7th visit to the Valencia CF pitch with high motivation to clinch the first away victory of the 2022/23 season.
UD Almería are to go on their last trip of the first half of the league with the burning desire to achieve one of the milestones that remain to be achieved by the team coached by Rubi: winning away from home. This time, the Rojiblancos are visiting the team placed just above them in the table, Valencia CF (13th) with 19 points, one point ahead of the Rojiblancos. It will be an exciting tough-looking clash between direct rivals.
BACKGROUND
This will be the seventh visit of UD Almería to the Mestalla Stadium, where the Indalicos recorded four defeats and two victories in the past. UD Almería have never shared the spoils in that well-known venue of national and international recognition. Except in the 2010/11 season, all the results have been triumphs both as hosts and as visitors, in matches marked by maximum competitiveness. The last time the Rojiblancos travelled to Valencia was in the 2014/15 campaign and the result of a fantastic game was 3-2. Valencia CF went ahead twice and the Rojiblancos managed to grab two equalisers including former UD Almería player Álvaro Negredo's goal, who netted the winning goal with a header in the dying minutes.
It was not like that in the unforgettable visit of 2013/14 season when former head coach Francisco's UD Almería played in Valencia on Matchday 11 without a single previous victory; the Andalusian side were back in the big time and competed in the Primera Division after a win in Anoeta. Valencia CF headed down the tunnel at half-time on a one-goal lead. Far from giving up, the visitors surprised everyone after turning the game around; a goal from a corner-kick from Torsiglieri and Aleix Vidal's swift solo run were enough to claim the first victory of that season that inspired them to stay up in the league even though it seemed impossible at first.
POINTS
Valencia CF have racked up 19 points so far, thirteen of which have been collected at the Mestalla Stadium. The Ché team did not score only in three fixtures at home and together with the setback against RCD Mallorca (1-2) have been their defeats as hosts to Atlético de Madrid, FC Barcelona and Cádiz CF. It was against the Andalusians when Gatusso's side played their last game. As for UD Almería, they have only added two points away from home. One was earned in a draw on their trip to the Nuevo Mirandilla Stadium (1-1). However, Rubi's team has been very close to getting that first win as guests in matches played at the Ciutat de Valencia (Villarreal CF) or in that previous meeting in Cádiz, recently.
CONTEXT
Our next rivals from the Comunidad Valenciana región have one game in hand as they participated in the Spanish Super Cup, competition in which they lost on penalties with a great performance showed against Real Madrid CF. Last Wednesday, they qualified for the Spanish Cup quarter-finals after knocking out Sporting de Gijón (0-4).
REFEREE
Jesús Gil Manzano from the Extremadura Referees School will referee the match next Monday along with VAR assistant Xavier Estrada Fernández. Gil Manzano is an international referee who is celebrating his 11th season in the elite. He was the match official in Valencia on 29 occasions with the following scores: 13 wins, 11 losses and 5 draws. UD Almería had him as a ref this season in the home victory over Sevilla FC, there are thirteen games in total and 5 wins, 5 losses and 3 draws.
