Almería beat Córdoba 4-0 in a club friendly on Thursday. The match took place on 7 August at the Estadio Nuevo Arcángel in Córdoba. By then, Almería had already shown signs of control during training sessions, but nothing prepared observers for how the game would unfold.
N. Melamed opened the scoring in the 51st minute. To be fair, the visitors had been the more dangerous side from the first whistle, even before the half-time break. Córdoba's attacks totalled 61 compared to Almería's 101, but numbers rarely tell the full story of a match.
Almería doubled their lead three minutes later when Alex Lopez came on for a substitution. The goal came shortly after at 61 minutes, though the scorer remains unrecorded in the available data. And here's the thing about friendlies — you watch for patterns, not just results.
A. Sola added a third in the 64th minute, then another goal sealed the match in the 88th minute. Both teams finished with equal possession at 50 per cent, but Almería registered four corners to Córdoba's one. Possession statistics mean little when one side turns them into chances and the other does not.
Córdoba enter their pre-season campaign with mixed results. They beat Real Jaén 2-1 on Wednesday, drew with Elche 2-2, and held Cadiz to a goalless draw. Against Sevilla they failed to score, and Orlando Pirates saw them share the points 1-1.
Almería's recent form shows a different trajectory. They beat Al-Nassr 2-0, lost to Real Betis 1-0, then suffered a 2-0 defeat to Granada. An easy win over Aguilas followed before a 2-1 loss to Málaga. This result extends their momentum, even if friendlies rarely carry lasting weight.
