Almeria vs Malaga prediction 20.06.2026 | La Liga 2

After two seasons in La Liga 2, Almeria could return to the Spanish top tier. They played well for most of the year and were even close to direct promotion, but eventually, Rubi's team ended three points behind the desired position. Almeria have been solid lately, with four consecutive games without defeat.

After a draw in the first playoff final leg, Almeria's head coach was satisfied. He said, "When two teams know each other so well, and both follow their defensive game plan to the letter, leaving very few spaces for the opposition, you get a clash that balances everything out. Both teams knew how to close passing lanes and prevent certain players from receiving the ball. I think the result was fair, although in some of the transitions towards the end of the game, I felt we were closer to scoring than they were."

Almeria have almost a full squad ahead of the decisive game on Saturday. Only injured Andre Horta should skip the upcoming clash.

Turbulent years are behind Malaga, and they could return to La Liga after eight seasons. The Andalusian side struggled during the first half of the campaign, but their fortunes changed after Juan Funes took charge in November, with the team finding its best form under the new head coach. Eventually, they ended with only one point fewer than their opponent in the final, Almeria. Malaga were impressive recently with eight games in a row without defeat.

Malaga's head coach, Juan Funes, talked about what the team needs on Saturday night to progress to La Liga. He said, "We need a lot of character and personality. When you play away from home, many factors can make things more difficult. One important thing is that we've become used to winning away from home. In fact, over the last two months, we've probably picked up more points away than at home. I'm confident. We've gone toe-to-toe with a team like Almeria, and that fills us with pride. We know it's not enough yet, we still need one goal, but being just one goal away is an opportunity life has given us."

Malaga have problems with missing players. Josue Dorrio, Einar Galilea, Juanpe, Luismi, and Alex Pastor are unavailable for the trip to Almeria. Also, Haitam Abaida is questionable, and his status will be clearer closer to the kickoff.