Almeria vs Getafe

Almeria’s penultimate home game of the 2023/24 La Liga campaign pits them against out-of-form Getafe at the Power Horse Stadium.

It’s now a near-certainty that Almeria will not feature in La Liga next season after conceding a 95th-minute goal in a 2-1 home loss to Villarreal last weekend. Another late heartbreak left them nailed to the bottom of the table, 17 points adrift of safety, meaning anything other than a win here would confirm their relegation to the Segunda Division. Even a triumph will probably only delay the inevitable. But the hosts will be desperate to save some dignity down the final stretch and avoid finishing the season as the only La Liga side without a home win (D8, L8). Interim manager Pepe Mel must address Almeria’s defensive woes to boost their chances in this match-up after they conceded on either side of halftime in four of their last five La Liga outings.

Meanwhile, Getafe’s unlikely pursuit of European qualification suffered a potentially knockout blow last weekend as a 1-1 home draw against Real Sociedad left them stuck eight points adrift of seventh-placed Real Betis. Getafe’s dip in form has seen them pick up just one win across their last eight La Liga matches (D4, L3). That’s largely thanks to Jose Bordalas’ uneventful frontline. The visitors have failed to get on the scoreboard in three of their last five league outings while netting just once per game in the other two. It gets worse on the road, where ‘El Geta’ haven’t scored in three consecutive top-flight fixtures (D1, L2). Another disappointment is looming, considering Getafe’s last three La Liga visits to Almeria have yielded identical 1-0 defeats.