Málaga and Almería goalless in the first act of the final: the decision on the return to LaLiga moves to Almería
Málaga CF and UD Almería played 0:0 in the first match of the LaLiga Hypermotion play-off final for entry into LaLiga EA Sports. The match was played on Sunday, 14 June 2026, at the La Rosaleda stadium in Málaga, and according to Málaga's official report, 30,083 spectators attended the match. The goalless result left the tie completely open in terms of the score, but because of the play-off regulations, the greater pressure ahead of the return leg is nevertheless on the visitors from Málaga. The decision on the last passenger into the highest tier of Spanish football will fall on Saturday, 20 June, at the UD Almería Stadium, in a match that, according to LALIGA's announcement, begins at 21:00 Central European Time.
The first match of the final did not bring wide spaces or pronounced attacking fluency, but rather a contest in which caution, discipline and risk control were just as important as attacking initiative. Málaga, in front of a full La Rosaleda, tried with longer possession and pressure in the second half to force Almería into a mistake, while the team coached by Rubi spent most of the match trying to maintain compactness and prevent the home side from opening up the game. Málaga's official chronicle points out that Almería tried from the start to threaten down the right side, especially through Daijiro Chirino and Sergio Arribas, while the home team increasingly looked for Dani Lorenzo as the organiser of play as the match developed. In the end, 0:0 was a result that reflects the toughness of the match, but also the exceptionally high price of every mistake in a play-off final.
- Competition: LaLiga Hypermotion, play-off final for entry into LaLiga EA Sports
- Match: Málaga CF - UD Almería 0:0
- Venue: Estadio La Rosaleda, Málaga, Spain
- Date of the first match: Sunday, 14 June 2026
- Return leg: Saturday, 20 June 2026, UD Almería Stadium
La Rosaleda full, but without a goal that would have changed the tone of the final
According to Málaga's club report, the atmosphere at La Rosaleda was highly festive and competitive, with a mosaic in the stands and support that gave the home team an additional impulse. Coach Juan Francisco Funes made several changes to the starting line-up compared with the previous match against UD Las Palmas, and Rafa Rodríguez, Aarón Ochoa and Adrián Niño started from the first minute. Almería had the first shot on target through Adri Embarba, but Alfonso Herrero controlled that attempt without major difficulty. Such an opening announced a match in which both teams quickly returned to their structure after losing the ball and did not want to allow the opponent to develop long periods of pressure in dangerous zones.
The most dangerous home moments in the first half were connected with Adrián Niño, who, according to Málaga's official chronicle, had the first clearer chance in the 24th minute after a pass from Carlos Dotor. Goalkeeper Andrés Fernández then stopped his attempt, and shortly afterwards Dion Lopy also threatened at the other end. Niño tested the Almería goalkeeper again around the half-hour mark, but that attempt did not change the score either. Málaga searched for a goal in the closing stages of the first half also through a shot by Rafa Rodríguez from outside the penalty area, but the teams went into the break without goals. That outcome suited the rhythm of a match in which there was intensity, stoppages and tactical fouls, but few clear situations from which forwards could calmly finish an attack.
Almería survived periods of pressure and preserved the initial balance
After the break, Funes reacted by introducing Joaquín Muñoz instead of Aarón Ochoa, with which he tried to gain a different profile of attacking width and freshness in the build-up phase. Málaga had more initiative in the second half and, with the support of the stands, tried to squeeze Almería deeper towards their own penalty area. Nevertheless, the visiting team maintained an organised defensive block and did not allow the home pressure to turn into a series of open chances. In the 67th minute, Joaquín forced Andrés Fernández into another important save with a powerful shot, which remained one of the home team's most concrete situations after the interval.
In the final phase of the match, Almería found more space to transition forward. Málaga's official chronicle states that Nico Melamed had a good situation from a counterattack in the 84th minute, and immediately afterwards Embarba took a shot that Herrero safely stopped. These details showed that the match could have broken either way, especially as fatigue opened cracks between the lines. Still, neither team managed to find the final pass or the finish sufficient for an advantage before the return leg. Referee Salvador Lax Franco signalled the end after four minutes of added time, and the first match of the final ended without goals and without a clear winner on the scoreboard.
What 0:0 means under the play-off rules
In an ordinary two-legged tie, 0:0 in the first match would often mean almost complete balance, but the format of the Spanish play-offs gives special weight to placement from the league phase of the season. In its explanation of the system, LALIGA states that since 2022 the away-goals rule no longer applies in the play-offs and that there is no penalty shoot-out. If the aggregate score is level after two matches and an additional 30 minutes of extra time, the better-placed team from the regular part of the season advances. Since UD Almería finished the league phase in third place and Málaga CF in fourth, Almería have an important procedural advantage in the return leg if the tie still cannot be separated by the score after extra time.
That does not mean that Málaga do not control their own fate, but it does mean that in Almería they practically need a victory on aggregate. Any draw in the return leg after 90 minutes would send the match into extra time, and if there were still no winner on aggregate after that, the advantage of the better league placing would belong to Almería. On the other hand, any Málaga victory in regular time or after extra time would bring them a return to the highest tier. For Almería the situation is different: a victory would finish the job in front of their own fans, while the regulations could be an additional support in the scenario of a long and even return leg. That is exactly why the first match, although goalless, has significant tactical consequences for the preparation of the second meeting.
Statements from Málaga emphasise belief, but also caution
After the match, Málaga coach Juan Francisco Funes said, according to the club's official publication, that his team still depend on themselves and that they are "one goal" away from playing in the First Division. Funes stressed that he had expected more goals, but admitted that Almería did a very good defensive job. In his assessment, the emphasis on the psychological side of the return leg is particularly important: Málaga will have to show personality away from home, withstand the pressure of the stadium and find a way to attack without losing balance. The coach also said that the team has the same level of confidence as before the first match and that it relies on the experience of a group that had already gone through dramatic situations in the closing stages of the season.
Carlos Dotor, Málaga's midfielder, assessed in the club publication that the match was closed and that it was clear how much was at stake for both teams. According to him, there was a certain fear of defeat, which is understandable in the first of two final meetings. Dotor also stressed that Málaga do not want to normalise what is not usual, because an even tie with Almería, a team built to return to the elite, is an important indicator of the level for the club. Javi Montero, in a separate club publication, emphasised that not conceding a goal was important considering the quality of the opponent. His dressing-room message was clear: Málaga must score one goal more than the opponent in the return leg and continue with the plan that brought them to the final match of the season.
Almería enter the tie with the advantage of the table, but without publicly accepting the role of favourites
UD Almería coach Joan Francesc Ferrer Sicilia, known as Rubi, rejected the claim that his team were clear favourites in the preview of the first match. According to Almería's official publication, Rubi pointed out that his team have a strong squad, but that they are still only one of several very competitive teams in the league. He particularly emphasised that Málaga have intensity, speed and youth, and that Almería could have problems if they fail to control the home side's transitions. That assessment was largely confirmed at La Rosaleda, where Almería had to spend much of the match watching the space behind the lines and the rhythm with which Málaga try to accelerate after winning the ball.
Before the match, Rubi also recalled the difference of only one point between the clubs in the league phase, with Almería finishing on 74 and Málaga on 73 points. That information helps explain why the first match looked cautious and even, without major tactical adventures. The two teams know each other well, and during the regular part of the season each celebrated at home: Málaga won 2:1 at La Rosaleda, while Almería responded with a 3:2 victory at their stadium. In the play-off final, that context gains additional weight because it is not only one match being decided, but an entire season, a financial and sporting step forward, and a return to the highest tier of Spanish football.
The road to the final and the broader significance of the last ticket to LaLiga
According to LALIGA, Real Racing Club and RC Deportivo have already secured direct promotion to LaLiga EA Sports as the first two clubs in the league phase of LaLiga Hypermotion. The play-offs decide the third and final passenger, and they involve the clubs from third to sixth place. Almería reached the final through CD Castellón, while Málaga passed UD Las Palmas. In its play-off summary, LALIGA states that Almería secured the final with a goal by Stefan Dzodic in the closing stages against Castellón, while Málaga, in their elimination of Las Palmas, used the advantage from the first match and reached the final tie on aggregate.
For both clubs, this two-legged tie has a significance that goes beyond the sporting table itself. A return to LaLiga EA Sports brings access to higher revenues from television rights, wider international visibility and a different status in the player market. For Málaga, promotion would also have strong symbolic value after turbulent years and a gradual return of competitive stability. For Almería, promotion would mean confirmation of the ambition of a club that finished the league phase above all the play-off participants and that relied through the season on pronounced attacking potential. Still, the first match showed that history, budget and placement can be only a framework: details, composure and the ability to avoid mistakes in the most important minutes will decide.
Return leg in front of sold-out stands in Almería
UD Almería announced before the return leg that tickets for the second match of the play-off final had sold out, noting that additional seats could become available only if season-ticket holders release their seats through the club system. This means that the decisive meeting will be played in an extremely charged atmosphere, which further increases the importance of the opening minutes of the match. Almería will seek, in front of their supporters, a way to materialise the advantage of home ground and better placement, while Málaga must find a balance between ambition and patience. Leaving their structure too quickly could open space for Almería's attackers, but excessive caution would not suit a team that ultimately needs a step forward in the score.
The first match at La Rosaleda can therefore be read as an introduction to a chess-like continuation of the tie. Málaga showed that they can keep pace against Almería and that they do not have to withdraw even against a team with a stronger league placement. Almería, on the other hand, showed defensive maturity and the ability to withstand away pressure without conceding a goal. On Saturday, 20 June, all those assumptions will be tested again, but in a different environment and with a clearer awareness of the consequences of every move. After 0:0 in Málaga, the play-off final remains open, but the rules, home ground and the table from the regular part give Almería a slightly more favourable position before the last 90 or 120 minutes of the season.
Sources:
- LALIGA – explanation of the play-off format, final dates, rules in the event of an aggregate draw and the list of clubs that have already secured direct entry into LaLiga EA Sports (link)
- LALIGA – official LaLiga Hypermotion page with the result of the match Málaga CF - UD Almería 0:0 and summaries of the road to the final (link)
- Málaga CF – official match chronicle, spectator data, flow of the match, chances, line-ups and refereeing team (link)
- Málaga CF – statement by coach Juan Francisco Funes after the match at La Rosaleda (link)
- Málaga CF – statement by Carlos Dotor after the first match of the play-off final (link)
- Málaga CF – statement by Javi Montero after the first match of the play-off final (link)
- UD Almería – preview of the play-off final, match schedule, position of the clubs in the league phase and head-to-head meetings during the season (link)
- UD Almería – statement by coach Rubi ahead of the first match of the play-off final (link)
- UD Almería – notice on sold-out tickets for the return leg of the play-off final on 20 June (link)