CE Sabadell makes its home debut this season at the Nova Creu Alta, a stadium that has undergone renovations over the summer. The inaugural match will be against UD Almería, a team with promotion aspirations and a significantly higher economic potential than the Arlequinat club. This, combined with two away draws and a strong performance, has generated considerable excitement, with over 9,900 season ticket holders already.
Almería, which has played eight seasons in the First Division this century, aims for promotion back to the elite after three years in LaLiga Hypermotion. The Andalusian team, managed by Xavi García Pimienta with Marc Cabestany as assistant coach, has started the league with one win and one loss. Notably, their initial opponents have all been recently promoted teams, including Sabadell itself.
Sabadell's coach, Ferran Costa, has highlighted that his team leads the league in metrics such as crosses, set-piece shots, and recoveries in the opponent's half, despite being one of the teams that has yet to score. In contrast, Almería has committed the fewest fouls and received the fewest yellow cards in the league, while Sabadell has accumulated eight yellow cards in two matches.
Historically, there have been three previous encounters between Sabadell and Almería at the Nova Creu Alta, with two home wins and one defeat. The last Second Division match between them (2020-21) ended in a heartbreaking 1-2 loss in stoppage time.
“"It will be a special day, just another one. We have to live every home game as if it were a playoff; it has taken us 11 years to get here. We must go in with the mindset that if we don't give our all, it might take another 11 years"
“"We face another recently promoted team with the same coach. If we don't have the necessary attitude and the desire to win duels, the same thing will happen to us as it did in Tenerife"
The main new addition to Sabadell's squad is the return of 'Pipa' from injury. However, Edgar González, on loan from Almería, cannot play due to a contractual clause. Sabadell's injured players include Genar Fornés, Alain Ribeiro, and Javi López-Pinto. For Almería, Sergio Arribas is out with an injury.
The match will be officiated by Manuel Ángel Perez Hernández, a 36-year-old referee in his third season in the category. He has overseen five Almería matches with a record of three wins and two losses, and three Sabadell games in Primera Federación with two draws and one victory.
