Almería and Las Palmas meet at the business end of the LaLiga 2 season on Saturday evening, 16 May 2026, with both clubs still chasing something meaningful. Almería sit third with 71 points and are trying to protect a strong position near the top of the table, while Las Palmas are fifth on 66 and need points to keep their promotion push alive. There’s no room for drift now. Every dropped point can change the shape of the run-in.
This one also carries the feel of two teams who know they can hurt each other. Almería have been one of the division’s most productive sides all season, scoring 78 and conceding 58, while Las Palmas have been a touch more controlled overall, shipping only 37 goals but scoring far fewer themselves, with 52. That contrast matters. One side are built to overwhelm, the other to stay compact and nick games. The question is which version turns up under pressure.
And there’s a little bit of recent history between them too. These clubs have already crossed paths several times in the last few years, and the meetings have often been tight. Almería beat Las Palmas 1-0 away in September 2025, which will give Rubi’s side a quiet edge of confidence. Still, the bigger story is current form. Both teams are coming into this with something to prove, and neither will fancy a sloppy night.
Almería Form & Analysis
Almería’s last six league games have been a proper mix of control, chaos and cutting edge. They drew 0-0 away at Burgos on 9 May, a match that felt a little flat on the eye but still underlined their resilience, especially after a spell of open, high-scoring games. Before that they beat Mirandés 4-2 at home, then went to Granada and won 4-2 away in a lively, end-to-end contest. Add in the 3-2 home win over Málaga and the 2-1 victory against Leganés, and you get the picture quickly: Almería don’t do dull very often. The only real blip in that stretch was the 5-1 defeat at Real Racing Club on 12 April, and even that came in the middle of a strong run, not at the end of one.
Rubi’s side have been excellent at home all season. Fourteen wins, two draws and only three defeats at their own ground is a serious return, and the 50 goals scored there tell you this isn’t a team that sits back and waits. They’ve also conceded 28 at home, so clean sheets aren’t exactly their thing. That’s the trade-off. They play on the front foot, they get bodies forward, and they accept that games can open up around them. You’d expect them to score. You’d also expect the other team to get a look-in.
The recent numbers fit that picture neatly. Almería have gone four league matches unbeaten since that heavy loss at Racing, and they’ve scored in almost every game during that spell. The 0-0 at Burgos was the exception rather than the rule, and even there they created enough chances to avoid feeling blunt. They’ve also had a strong habit of playing in matches with goals, which is no surprise when you look at their season total of 78 scored. That attacking edge is their biggest weapon here. The flip side? They’re not locked down enough to completely shut out a side with Las Palmas’ quality.
Las Palmas Form & Analysis
Las Palmas arrive with a little more uncertainty after the jarring 5-1 defeat away to FC Andorra on 10 May. That was a rough afternoon from the start, and the scoreline wasn’t flattering. They were second best for long stretches, and the underlying figures were ugly too. Before that collapse, though, they’d put together a useful run: a 2-1 home win over Real Valladolid, a 2-1 away victory at Cádiz, and a clean 2-0 home success against Leganés. There was also a 2-0 defeat at Málaga in mid-April, but overall the recent pattern was decent until Andorra ripped it apart.
Away from home, Las Palmas have been respectable rather than ruthless. Six wins, seven draws and six defeats is a fair enough record, but it doesn’t scream control on the road. They’ve scored 20 away goals and conceded 24, which is perfectly workable without being imposing. That matters because this trip to Almería feels like one where they’ll need to be efficient rather than expansive. Luis García Fernández’s side have been more measured than their hosts all season, yet they’ve also looked vulnerable when forced to chase a game. At Andorra, once the first goal went against them, the structure fell apart. That won’t go unnoticed.
Still, there’s enough quality here to trouble Almería. Las Palmas have 66 points for a reason, and their away record shows they’re capable of competing, even if they don’t always dominate. They’ve also won three of their last four before that Andorra setback, which suggests the team weren’t in bad shape until the wheels came off last weekend. What’s missing is a sense of security. They haven’t been keeping clean sheets with much regularity, and the fixture list doesn’t offer much comfort when you’re heading to the third-best side in the league on home soil.
This is the sort of match where Las Palmas have to stay in it long enough for their organisation to matter. If Almería turn it into a track meet, they’ll struggle. If they can keep it tight through the first hour, they’ve got a chance of making this messy. That’s the route. Anything else and they’ll be outgunned.
Head-to-Head
These teams have met several times recently, and the pattern has been fairly even with a slight lean toward tight, low-margin contests. Almería beat Las Palmas 1-0 in the reverse league fixture in September 2025, which followed another away win for Almería in March 2024. Las Palmas did edge a 2-1 victory at home in October 2023, so there’s no huge psychological gap here. Each side has had its turn.
The bigger trend is that these meetings often stay close. Five of the last six have gone under 2.5 goals, and that’s hard to ignore when you’re weighing up the betting angle. This fixture doesn’t usually turn into a shootout between these clubs. It tends to be tighter than the rest of Almería’s season, which is saying something given how open they can be.
We Predict: Both Teams To Score
We are backing Both Teams To Score at 8/13 for this one. It’s not a generous price, but it does feel the right side of the line. Almería have scored in 5 of their last 6 league matches and have been involved in a stream of open games at home, while Las Palmas have enough attacking quality to nick one even if they’re under pressure for long spells. The market is basically asking whether both defences can hold up. That feels optimistic.
The projected 2-1 scoreline fits the shape of the game nicely. Almería’s home strength should give them the edge, and Las Palmas’ away record doesn’t scream shutout material. But the visitors have enough about them to find a goal, especially if Almería push the pace and leave space behind. If you want a smaller angle, Over 2.5 Goals also has a case, though BTTS is the cleaner call given how often these sides have been involved in lively, goal-heavy league matches.
