Las Palmas draws with Almería, a fellow rival in the league (0-0)
UD Las Palmas drawed on Sunday against UD Almería in a friendly match played at La Quinta Football Center. García Pimienta's team once again showed their style, conceding minimal dangerous situations to the opponent, and making goalkeeper Mariño play a crucial role in the Marbella afternoon. The 0-0 draw concludes the second week of training, but there is concern about Fabio González's ankle injury.
Las Palmas approached their third friendly match with determination, taking responsibility with the ball as a tool against a rival they will face in the top division. As it happened 24 hours before against Al Wakrah, Pinchi had an early chance to open the scoring but his left-footed shot ended up in the hands of Almería's goalkeeper Diego Mariño.
The initial incidences on the field were concerning. First, Jonathan Viera received stitches for an involuntary cut on his face. Then, at the 16th minute, Fabio González was forced to leave the field in tears due to another injury to his right ankle. The player from the southeastern region of Gran Canaria couldn't continue and was replaced by the young academy player Iñaki.
Goalkeeper Diego Mariño had more work, particularly in two shots by Sandro Ramírez in the 18th and 30th minutes. On both occasions, the Gran Canarian forward cut inside from the right wing to deliver two crosses that found Almería's goalkeeper in their path.
Las Palmas regained control of the game towards the end of the first half. They found solutions against the opposition's pressure, but their more advanced attempts couldn't find the back of the net. Jonathan Viera had the last chance of the first half, with a shot that again demanded Mariño's intervention to keep it under control.
Despite numerous substitutions, the direction of the match didn't change in the second half. Between Kirian, Moleiro, Pejiño, and Loiodice, they orchestrated Las Palmas' operations against a rival that showed no cracks.
In this second half, there were fewer opportunities. Benito had his chance in the 72nd minute, following a pass from Kirian. The midfielder struck the ball with power, but his shot hit the outside of Almería's net.
Almería's best chance came through Ramazani, with a dangerous shot that went wide of one of Killane's posts. However, towards the end of the match, Las Palmas once again dominated in the opposition's half, seeking a goal that eluded them until the final play. Marc Cardona had the opportunity, but his shot was off target.
Lineups:
Almería: Mariño, Pozo, Ely, Babic, Akieme, Edgar, Arnau, Robertone, Embarba, Luis Suárez, and Marciano.
Bench: Fernando (gk), Chumi, Mendes, Kaiky, Centelles, Samu, Eguaras, Lázaro, El Bilal, Appiah, Gui, Ramazani, Marezi, Rojas, Obón, and Bruno.
Las Palmas: Valles, Álvaro Lemos, Saúl Coco, Juanma Herzog, Sinkgraven, Fabio González, Javi Muñoz, Jonathan Viera, Óscar Pinchi, Cristian Herrera, and Sandro Ramírez.
Also played: Iñaki González (substituting for Fabio after his injury), Pau Ferrer, Palanca, Alex Suárez, Eric Curbelo, Sergi Cardona, Loiodice, Kirian, Moleiro, Pejiño, Marc Cardona, Benito Ramírez, and goalkeeper Álvaro Killane.
Goals: None.
Referee: Pablo Morales Moreno (Andalusian Football Association), assisted by Javier Antolín and Alejandro Argote. Yellow card for Benito.
