“Juan Otero opens the scoring for Sporting Gijón against the run of play, giving the hosts an early lead that Almería had done little to deserve.”
Pivotal“Sporting double their lead when Daijiro Chirino turns the ball into his own net, just a minute after picking up a yellow card for dissent — a desperate moment for the Almería defender and a crushing blow to the visitors' hopes of getting back into the game.”
Pivotal“Miguel de la Fuente reduces the deficit to 2-1 immediately after half-time, giving Almería a foothold in the game and setting up a nervy final half hour for the hosts.”
Pivotal“Pablo Vázquez seals the win for Sporting with a goal just eight minutes from time, ending Almería's hopes of a comeback — remarkably coming from the defender who had been booked just seven minutes earlier.”
Pivotal
Sporting Gijón
Almería
Outstanding performance
Sporting Gijón•AttackerSporting Gijón produced a disciplined and ruthless counter-punching display to defeat Almería 3-1 despite being thoroughly second-best in terms of possession and territory. Almería dominated the ball throughout — holding 64% possession, completing 497 passes and generating 55 dangerous attacks to Sporting's 22 — yet it was the home side who struck first and most damagingly. Juan Otero was the catalyst, scoring inside 12 minutes before benefiting from Daijiro Chirino's own goal at 21 to put Sporting two up at half-time against the run of play. Almería applied sustained second-half pressure and Miguel de la Fuente pulled one back on 56 minutes, but the comeback attempt was undermined by a chaotic spell of bookings that disrupted their momentum, and Pablo Vázquez killed the tie with an 82nd-minute third. For Sporting, the win underlines their capacity to grind out results with limited possession; for Almería, a familiar story of dominating without converting proved costly once again.
How entertaining was this match?
Rodrigo Ely attempts a header but misses the shot.
Arnau Puigmal takes a right-footed shot, but it's saved.
Stefan Džodić attempts a header but misses the shot.
Rodrigo Ely's header is saved.
Rodrigo Ely's header is saved.
Jesus Bernal is substituted for Juan Ferney Otero Tovar.
Eric Curbelo replaces Pablo Vazquez Perez.
Pablo Garcia Carrasco replaces Allexandre Corredera Alardi.
Pablo VázquezPablo Vazquez Perez scores with a header.
Stefan Džodić takes a right-footed shot that hits the post.
Arnau Puigmal comes on for Daijiro Chirino.
Jonathan Dubasin is on, and Cesar Gelabert is off.
Leonardo Carrilho Baptistao's header is saved.
Sergio Arribas Calvo takes a left-footed shot but misses.
Shot by Campos Gaspar with his right foot misses the target.
Diego Sanchez comes on for Andres Cuenca.
Pablo Vazquez Perez's header is blocked.
Nicolas Melamed Ribaudo comes on for André Filipe Horta.
Miguel de la FuenteMiguel De la Fuente takes a shot with his right foot and scores.
Cesar Gelabert's left-footed shot is saved.
Adrian Embarba takes a right-footed shot, but it's blocked.
Alex Munoz takes a left-footed shot, but it's saved.
Alex Centelles is substituted for Nelson Montealegre.
André Filipe Horta takes a right-footed shot, but it's saved.
Leonardo Carrilho Baptistao comes on for Jon Morcillo.
André Filipe Horta comes on for Dion Lopy.
assist: César Gelabert
Goal! Juan Ferney Otero Tovar scores to make it 2-0, assisted by Cesar Gelabert.
Justin Smith takes a right-footed shot, but it's saved.
Juan Ferney Otero Tovar takes a left-footed shot, but it's saved.
The first half ends with a score of 2-0.
Pablo Vazquez Perez attempts a header but misses the shot.
Stefan Džodić takes a left-footed shot but misses.
Cesar Gelabert's left-footed shot is saved.
Campos Gaspar takes a right-footed shot, but it is blocked.
Nelson Montealegre receives a yellow card.
Allexandre Corredera Alardi takes a right-footed shot, but it is blocked.
Lucas Perrin takes a left-footed shot, but it's saved.
Adrian Embarba takes a right-footed shot, but it's saved.
Goal! An own goal by Daijiro Chirino makes it 2-0.
Sergio Arribas Calvo takes a left-footed shot but misses.
Juan OteroJuan Ferney Otero Tovar scores with a header.
Rodrigo Ely takes a right-footed shot but misses.
Alex Munoz takes a left-footed shot but misses.
Adrian Embarba takes a right-footed shot but misses.
Kick-off! The referee is Damaso Arcediano Monescillo.
Almería arrive at the historic Estadio El Molinón firmly in the promotion picture, sitting 3rd in La Liga 2 with 71 points, while Sporting Gijón look to upset the odds and defend home pride. With both sides capable of mistakes at the back and a BTTS trend in recent head-to-heads, Sunday's clash promises plenty of drama on the Asturian coast.
