Almada's Oviedo undone by costly errors at Camp Nou
Oviedo boss Guillermo Almada reflects on another painful defeat as defensive mistakes prove costly against Barcelona, leaving his side rooted to the bottom of the table.
Oviedo manager Guillermo Almada cut a frustrated figure after watching his side gift-wrap goals to Barcelona, with critical defensive errors proving decisive in their latest defeat.
Camp Nou calamity
It’s another case of what might have been for Real Oviedo. The relegation-threatened side showed promising signs in the first half against Barcelona but ultimately paid the price for defensive lapses that a team of Barça’s quality was always going to punish.
Almada didn’t mince his words post-match, admitting: “Equivocarnos en zonas clave ante un rival de esta jerarquía se paga muy caro” - making mistakes in key areas against opponents of this calibre proves extremely costly.
The Uruguayan gaffer was particularly gutted because he felt his team competed well for stretches of the match, especially in the opening 45 minutes where they went toe-to-toe with the Catalan giants. But when you’re propping up the table and visiting the Camp Nou, you simply can’t afford to be your own worst enemy.
Defensive woes mounting
What’s particularly concerning for Oviedo is their defensive record has taken a proper battering recently:
- Six goals conceded in their last two matches
- Defensive solidity that had improved under Almada now crumbling
- Individual errors undermining collective defensive structure
Almada was quick to point out that Barcelona’s quality means they rarely forgive mistakes. When you’re playing against that sort of opposition and gift them opportunities through unforced errors, you’re asking for trouble.
Fighting spirit remains
Despite this being another Adam and Eve (believe) moment for Oviedo fans, Almada’s commitment to the cause remains unshaken. He continues to back his squad and emphasised the team’s maximum commitment to the survival battle.
The boss insists they need to maintain the level shown in the first half against Barça and in other recent performances, even if results haven’t reflected their efforts. What they desperately need now is a win - pretty, ugly or somewhere in between - to kickstart their survival push.
With the relegation battle intensifying and margins getting tighter by the week, Oviedo will need to cut out those costly errors if they’re to have any chance of climbing off the bottom of the table.