Skip to main content
EN
Match Reports

2-2: UD Almería back in the big time as champions after thrilling finale

The Rojiblancos pegged CD Leganés back twice to clinch silverware and show that they never give up

The moment UD Almeria were waiting for! The Rojiblancos punched the air after moving up to the Spanish top-flight as champions of LaLiga SmartBank after playing an epic match in which they grabbed two levellers against hosts CD Leganés. Without giving up at any time, as this team are used to, the goals from Rodrigo Ely and Sadiq sealed the long-awaited return of the Rojiblancos to the top tier in Spanish football.

Energy was electric. Thousands of UD Almeria travelling fans turned the Butarque Stadium into a mini Mediterraneo Stadium with numerous chants even when the footballers were warming up.

Regarding the last game of the season, the Indálicos started slow out of the traps since in the 7th minute, CD Leganés took advantage of a defensive error so that Borja Garcés was left alone in front of Fernando and he opened the scoring (1- 0). The Rojiblancos were really eager to bounce back immediately. In fact they did so when Rodrigo Ely equalised within 14 minutes following a corner-kick. Shortly before the scores were level at 1-1, Sadiq had already squandered a great opportunity, but goalie Riesgo denied it.

Then an end-to-end game saw the home team firing several warning shots, while UD Almería attempted to get closer based on quick combinations and vertical football. With 34 minutes gone, the crossbar prevented CD Leganés from getting ahead again. Time bgan to wind down and the hosts were managing to generate a little more danger. At the stroke of halftime Omerou put his name onto the scoresheet to break the deadlock (2-1).

Nerves were frayed. The second half brought some bad news in other second tier pitches when the information arrived, Real Valladolid CF were winning their match, however, inside 53 minutes, UD Almería showed their powerful personality in action and Sadiq Umar slotted home to pegged them back (2-2) after a well-timed combination. The Rojiblancos were looking for a third goal that would make them depend on themselves, yet this meant that there were several spaces at the back and that on 63 minutes keeper Fernando was utterly determined to leave the result unchanged and keep their automatic promotion hopes alive through a superb save.

UD Almeria needed one more goal given that the scores recorded in other fields left the Andalusians within the play-offs. For this reason, head coach Rubi introduced some changes up front with Dyego Sousa and Arnau Puigmal coming on. The lack of pinpoint precision in the final third prevented a better result. With 75 minutes on the clock, Eguaras replaced Robertone and his beautiful struck shot from the edge of the pitch skimmed the post.

UD Almería were doing more than enough to win. Nonetheless, the opponent goalkeeper was very successful to block a thumping header from Sadiq Umar when he dived to the top corner to save the Nigerian's goal. Immediately afterwards, a defender intervened in a shot after a corner-kick. The ball did not find the back of the net and there were two minutes left to reach full time. 

The game was epic and like any extraordinary story, it had a ecstatic joy in store for the UD Almeria fans when AD Alcorcón scored to beat SD Eibar and the strenuous effort made from the Indálicos to draw a pulsating match reaped the reward of both making it to the top-flight LaLiga Santander and becoming the second tier LaLiga SmartBank champions sparking a burst of delirious joy at the precise moment in which the referee blew the final whistle.