Andalusia derby to whet the appetite

This Tuesday, La Rosaleda will host an Andalusia derby between Málaga CF and UD Almería, two sides who have contrasting emotions following the first five rounds of fixtures in Liga BBVA.

Bernd Schuster’s side have five points from five games, and will be looking to start to move up the table, rather than down it. The German noted last weekend: “The team is taking a forward step in each game. Our results back that up”. They started the season with two defeats against two of the most difficult opponents in the league, Calencia CF and FC Barcelona, but impressed nonetheless. After draws away at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán and the Anoeta, their other game was a goal-fest against Rayo Vallecano at home. The skipper Weligton is continuing his recovery from a broken collarbone, and is the only absentee for the Costa del Sol outfit.

Almería go into the match without having won so far. After two defeats and three draws, Francisco Rodríguez will hope for a change in fortune, with the in-form Rodri, Suso and Fernando Soriano the key. It’s an opportunity that they must try to take advantage of, given that their forthcoming fixtures see them take on Barcelona at home, followed by Sevilla away. Their only absentee will be defender Christian Fernández, who was sent off in the last game.