Almería 1 - Murcia 0

Almería: Diego Alves; Bruno, Carlos García, Pulido, Mané; Corona, Juanito, Felipe Melo (Soriano 78'); Juanma Ortíz (José Ortiz 64'), Negredo (Kalu Uche 82'), Crusat. 4-3-3.
Murcia: Notario; David De Coz, César Arzo, Cuadrado, Marañon; De Lucas (Abel 64'), Pablo García (Iñigo 70'), Richi, Regueiro (Rosinei 60'); Iván Alonso, Goitom. 4-4-2.

Team changes: Almería: No change / Murcia: Marañon, Regueiro for Peña, Jofre.

Goals:
1-0. 43. Negredo. Dived forward to head Crusat cross past Notario.

Almería continue to go from strength, and they are now level with sixth placed Sevilla after a 1-0 win over Murcia, their seventh single goal victory this season. The visitors needed a result to get out of the drop zone, and they came out strongly in the first half, De Coz and Goitom testing Diego Alves and Iván Alonso and Richi failing to hit the target. Carlos García brought a good save out of Notario at the other end following a corner though, and with two minutes to go to the break Negredo got on the end of Crusat's cross to head what was to be the only goal of the game.

Early in the second half Negredo almost got a second by accident, his wayward cross bouncing off the crossbar, and Notario had to be on his toes to keep out a Pulido header a few minutes later. But once again Diego Alves was called upon to make a couple more excellent saves, the best from a dangerous Abel free kick. The keeper has now beaten Casillas's best run of the season with a sixth clean sheet in a row, and his side are just outside of the European spots having taken as many points as anyone since the turn of the tear. Coach Unai Emery is being watched by a lot of big clubs.