Although there are still many beans to play for the mathematics to decide, Almería faces a demanding week and the most important of the season to date. Those of José Gomes pay a visit this Wednesday (7:00 p.m.) to Leganés and next Sunday (4:00 p.m.) to Mallorca, two direct rivals, so there are more than three points at stake: those achieved, those that the rival does not add up and the particular goal difference, in addition to giving a blow on the table. The Almeria team has been all season on a somewhat further plane as far as classification is concerned and now it can take on another role, not knowing how they would manage it.
After spending the entire season with fewer games played than their rivals, this Wednesday the rojiblancos will catch up. First was the promotion of promotion last year and then the temporary Filomena, suspending the last Leganés-Almería, scheduled for January 9. The cucumber team is in better shape, but Almería is playing nothing more and nothing less than the leadership. In case of imposing itself on those at home, the UDA would be the leader, something that it has not achieved since last January 19, 2021, when he climbed to the top of the table after a 1-2 in Almendralejo.
Only four times has Almería been the leader since Turki Al-Sheikh landed in August 2019, all of them last season: in matchdays 1, 6, 7 and the aforementioned 23. In case of winning this Wednesday, the rojiblancos will have completed their comeback, from the penultimate position after the bad league start, returning to lead 395 days later, since the joy with that triumph to Extremadura only lasted one date.
The draw in Butarque will also have a prize in the form of overtaking Espanyol and placing themselves in direct promotion, positions that they have not occupied since matchday 27 of last season. A defeat against Racing (0-1) on February 7, 2020 took Almería out of the direct promotion positions and since then they have not occupied them, something that may change this Wednesday. Sunday's company is not trivial either, visiting the current leader, who already won the first leg at the Stadium of the Mediterranean Games thanks to the goal of Abdón Prats in the discount. Although the Leganés appointment first touches, in which the Almería seek to distance their pursuers (the closest is Leganés himself, with six units less) and give a good blow on the table.