“Léo Baptistão fired Almería ahead inside the very first minute, setting the tone for a frantic opening to the match.”
“Juan Gutiérrez turned the ball into his own net to give Almería a 2-1 lead after Mirandés had just equalised, a cruel moment for the Mirandés defender after what had been a breathless opening.”
Pivotal“Fernando Medrano turned a cross into his own net to put Almería 3-2 ahead, a moment of devastating bad luck for the Mirandés man who had scored at the right end just 55 minutes earlier — and ultimately the goal that broke Mirandés's resistance.”
Pivotal“Substitute Jon Morcillo stepped up to convert a late penalty and put the game to bed at 4-2, confirming Almería's victory and adding gloss to a scoreline that reflected their second-half dominance.”
Almería
Mirandés
Outstanding performance
Almería•AttackerAlmería produced a performance of two very different halves on Monday evening, weathering an extraordinary opening 20 minutes in which four goals flew in before eventually asserting their quality to pull away from Mirandés. The home side drew first blood through Léo Baptistão inside 60 seconds, only for Fernando Medrano to equalise two minutes later, then Juan Gutiérrez's unfortunate own goal restored Almería's lead before Salim El Jebari levelled again at 2-2. From that chaotic start, Almería regrouped and allowed their statistical superiority — 59% possession, 85% pass accuracy and 64 dangerous attacks to Mirandés's 32 — to tell. Mirandés actually threatened more on goal with 12 shots to Almería's 9 and five on target to three, but a second own goal, this time Fernando Medrano turning into his own net on 58 minutes, and a 90th-minute Jon Morcillo penalty gave the scoreline a more comfortable look. For Almería, who entered the fixture with strong recent form, the three points are crucial in what has been a tight title race battle in La Liga 2; Mirandés, sitting in the middle of the table, will rue a first-half spell that suggested they might steal something from this game before their own defensive errors cost them dearly.
How entertaining was this match?
Mickael Malsa comes on for Javier Hernandez.
Jon MorcilloJon Morcillo takes a shot with his left foot and scores.
Thalys Gomes De Araujo is on, and Miguel De la Fuente is off.
André Filipe Horta replaces Sergio Arribas Calvo.
Dion Lopy takes a right-footed shot, but it is blocked.
Federico Bonini takes a left-footed shot but misses.
Pablo Perez Rico is on, and Salim El Jebari is off.
Toni Tamarit comes on for Hugo Novoa Ramos.
Jon Morcillo replaces Adrian Embarba.
Ali Houary takes a left-footed shot, but it's saved.
Ali Houary's left-footed shot is saved.
Unax del Cura takes a right-footed shot, but it is blocked.
Rafel Bauza takes a right-footed shot but misses.
Arnau Puigmal comes on for Leonardo Carrilho Baptistao.
Juan Gutierrez takes a right-footed shot, but it's blocked.
Juan Gutierrez takes a left-footed shot but misses.
Hugo Novoa Ramos takes a right-footed shot, but it's saved.
First half ends with the score at 2-2.
Stefan Džodić takes a right-footed shot but misses.
Miguel De la Fuente's header is blocked.
Unax del Cura takes a right-footed shot but misses.
Leonardo Carrilho Baptistao takes a right-footed shot, but it's blocked.
Salim El Jebari takes a left-footed shot but misses.
Salim El JebariSalim El Jebari scores with a left-footed shot.
Miguel De la Fuente takes a right-footed shot, but it's saved.
Own goal by Juan Gutierrez gives the lead at 2-1.
Adrian Embarba takes a right-footed shot but misses.
Fernando MedranoFernando Medrano takes a left-footed shot and scores.
Leonardo Carrilho Baptistao takes a shot with his left foot and scores.
Kick-off! The referee is Gorka Etayo Herrera.
Monday's season finale at the Estadio de los Juegos Mediterráneos is a collision of ambition and desperation — Almería chasing a La Liga 2 title while Mirandés cling to their second-division lives by a thread. With just two points separating Mirandés from the drop zone and Almería two points off top spot, every touch of the ball carries enormous consequence.
