Almeria vs Eibar preview - Corona: Eibar clash is must-win

Posted Saturday, April 25, 2015 by PA

Almeria midfielder Miguel Angel Corona says his side must play their game against Eibar "like there's no tomorrow".

The Andalusians are level on points with the relegation zone with six matches left of the season and Corona knows the outcome of Sunday's game will have a huge effect on whether they succumb to relegation or avoid the drop.

"A victory would allow us to look to the future with a certain amount of optimism but a defeat would leave us staring into a dark cloud," he told a press conference.

"The season doesn't finish on Monday and this won't decide where we finish in the table, but it's true that we have to treat it like there is no tomorrow."

Eibar are three points clear of Almeria in the table so a home victory would see them go level with the Basques in the table. And Corona admitted there was an added incentive for his side to win the match after losing to Gaizka Garitano's side in the first half of the season, a defeat that lead to then-coach Francisco Javier Rodriguez getting sacked.

"We all remember that game as a dark day and this is a chance for us to exact revenge - on a sporting level, of course," said the midfielder.

"They were so far ahead of us in the table then but 19 games later we have the chance to go level on points with them, make our life easier and perhaps make theirs more complicated."

Michel Macedo, Fran Velez and Fernando Soriano are all injured for Almeria, while Sebastian Dubarbier is suspended. Eibar are still without injured goalkeeper Jaime Jimenez, while forward Angel Rodriguez is out after being diagnosed with apendicitis.

Both sides have struggled for form in recent weeks, picking up just one win each in their last 10 matches, and Corona said his side have to combine mental and physical strength if they are to take the three points.

He added: "We have to play with our hearts but we also have to play with a cool head, and if Eibar try to force us into errors, we can't afford to let them do that, we have to counter them."