Vallecano vs Almeria preview - Bueno wants Vallecano momentum

Posted Saturday, March 15, 2014 by PA

Rayo Vallecano breathed life into their hopes of survival with a remarkable win at Real Sociedad on Monday and forward Alberto Bueno has urged the team to use the momentum from the victory to earn another set of three points at home to Almeria.

The Vallecas side had to come from behind twice against the Basques, with Ruben Rochina hitting the winning goal in the second half to make Rayo only the second team this season - after Atletico Madrid - to win at Anoeta.

The result put Rayo level on points with Almeria and Valladolid and with a better chance than ever of escaping the relegation zone.

"The game with Real Sociedad was vital and we knew that if we won we'd look at the next few games from a different point view," reflected Bueno in a press conference.

"That doesn't mean the job is done, but it has given our spirits a huge lift and made us realise we are capable of going further up the table. We can't stop now, because there's very little to choose between the teams near the bottom."

The result at Anoeta followed a 1-0 win over Valencia and meant Rayo strung together two victories for the first time this season.

"We are on a very good run, the squad is united and you have to have been inside the dressing room to know how happy everyone was with the win," added Bueno, who is now intent on striking a blow against fellow strugglers Almeria.

"The game against Almeria is like a final because if we beat them we'll really hurt them."

Almeria have only taken one point in four matches since their surprise win over title contenders Atletico Madrid at the start of February, but midfielder Verza insisted there was nothing to worry about for now.

"There's no need to sound the alarm bells just yet, because we're not far away [from safety] at all and there's still a long way to go," he told reporters.

"We've got out of more difficult situations before. On Saturday we have to produce our best possible performance in Vallecas because we've got the chance to win a game that is worth six points to us."

However, Rayo winger Iago Falque sent out a warning to Verza and his team-mates, telling the club's official website: "It's very important that Almeria know from the start that this is going to be a very long game for them and they are going to have a tough time, with us on the pitch and the fans in the stands."