Viñas' disciplinary woes continue: More red cards than goals for Oviedo striker
Uruguayan forward Federico Viñas ended his goal drought against Alavés but marred his performance with another sending off, his third of the season.
A day of mixed emotions for Real Oviedo as Federico Viñas finally found the net but couldn’t stay on the pitch to celebrate properly.
Jekyll and Hyde performance
The Uruguayan striker was both hero and villain on Sunday, ending his 686-minute league goal drought before receiving his marching orders late in the match. It’s becoming a worrying pattern for the charrúa, who now has the dubious distinction of collecting more red cards than goals this season.
Viñas was absolutely mustard throughout most of the game, causing constant problems for the Alavés defence with his movement, hold-up play and aerial duels. The goal clearly lifted a massive weight off his shoulders after weeks of frustration in front of goal.
He could’ve had more too, squandering at least two clear opportunities to add to his tally. But just when things were looking up, disaster struck as he received a second yellow card, leaving his teammates in the lurch for the closing stages.
Selection headache for Almada
The dismissal means Viñas will be suspended for Oviedo’s upcoming clash with Real Betis, giving manager Guillermo Almada a proper headache in attack. It’s his third red card of the campaign already - not exactly the kind of hat-trick the club was hoping for from their frontman.
Silver linings
It wasn’t all doom and gloom for the Carbayones though:
- Fans got their first glimpse of new loan signing Nico Fonseca from Club León
- The midfielder showed promising touches and composure during his brief cameo
- His ball control and distribution offered a ray of hope for the Tartiere faithful
Injury concerns
The afternoon took another negative turn when Eric Bailly was forced off with what appeared to be a nasty ankle sprain. The former Manchester United defender’s availability for the Betis match is now in serious doubt, with the medical team closely monitoring his recovery.
Oviedo have little time to dwell on Sunday’s events as they return to training on Monday morning at El Requexón, with the session open to supporters as they look to bounce back quickly.