Our prediction for this Primera Division match:
There will be fireworks when Almeria and Betis square off against each other in the Andalusian derby on Sunday afternoon. The hosts suffered a dip in form, with the team losing each of their last six league matches and given their difficulties at the back, home win should not be considered. Talented forward Largie Ramazani should keep his place in the starting XI after finding the net in a 2-1 loss to Getafe, while all Marko Milovanovic, Ibrahima Kone, Luis Suarez, Marc Pubill, and Martin Svidersky are sidelined with injuries.
Los Beticos, on the other hand, recorded a hard-fought 1-0 win over Las Palmas at the weekend. Manuel Pellegrini’s men have been showing signs of improvement of late and seeing that Nabil Fekir is back from injury, we predict that the visitors are going to win the Andalusian derby. The visitors will be without Claudio Bravo, Rui Silva, Youssouf Sabaly, and Marc Bartra in Sunday’s clash.
Highlighted Player (Willian José):
Well-travelled Brazilian international Willian Jose was born in Porto Calvo and made his first football steps at a local Clube de Regatas. It was at the age of 17 that he was snapped by Gremio Barueri where he made 26 league appearances and scored six goal in his first – and only – senior season at the club.
In 2011, Willian Jose moved to Deportivo Maldonado but his five-year stint with the Uruguay outfit was marked by no less than seven different loan spells, one of which was to La Liga heavyweights Real Madrid. Standing at 186cm tall, Willian Jose is a notable presence in the box. This powerful centre forward will use his physicality to hold up ball and bring his teammates into play.
The Brazilian international did well to make a name for himself in Spain by playing for Zaragoza and Las Palmas, respectively, before he sealed a permanent move to Real Sociedad in 2016. A member of both FIFA U-20 World Cup and South American Youth Championship winning sides with Brazil in 2011, Willian Jose has not been given a chance to prove his worth at the senior level with Selecao.
Highlighted Team (Almeria):
UD Almeria is a Spanish club based in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Los Rojiblancos are one of the newer additions to the Spanish football system, with the club being founded on July 26, 1989.
Almeria suffered relegation to Segunda Division in the 2014/15 season, and they have been competing in the Spanish second tier ever since. Los Rojiblancos are well known for their white shirts with red stripes, while blue is the dominant colour of their away jersey. Sofiane Feghouli, Felipe Melo, Diego Alves, Veljko Paunovic, Aleix Vidal, Alvaro Negredo, Tomer Hemed, and Mate Bilic are some notable footballers who played for Almeria in the past. Fellow Andalusian clubs Sevilla, Malaga, and Granada are considered the club’s fiercest rivals.
The club’s biggest success in Copa del Rey came in the 2010/11 season when they made it to the semis of the prestigious competition. Nonetheless, Catalan giants Barcelona proved to be a big catch for Almeria in the Spanish Cup semi-finals.