Almada warns Oviedo must be at their absolute best to handle Real Sociedad's quality
Real Oviedo boss Guillermo Almada has talked up the challenge awaiting his side at Anoeta on Saturday, with key absentees adding to the difficulty.
Guillermo Almada isn’t one to kid himself — and ahead of Saturday’s trip to San Sebastián, the Real Oviedo manager has been refreshingly straight about just how tough a test Real Sociedad are going to be.
The challenge ahead
Almada made no bones about the size of the task. Real Sociedad, he reckons, have a squad packed with quality from top to bottom, and they’ll demand the very best from his Oviedo side. The warning is clear: any sloppiness and la Real will make them pay dearly.
He specifically referenced the recent defeat to Athletic Club, pointing out that if Oviedo repeat those same defensive mistakes at Anoeta, Sociedad’s quality players will punish them in a way that’ll be really hard to take. It’s the kind of honest self-assessment you don’t always get from managers, and fair play to him for it.
Who’s missing
Oviedo will be without two key men for the trip north:
- David Costas – out injured
- Colombatto – suspended
Two notable absences, and not exactly ideal timing when you’re heading to one of the trickier grounds in the division.
The Cazorla question
One of the more intriguing talking points was the possibility of playing Santi Cazorla in a double pivot — essentially asking a natural number ten to do some of the ugly, unglamorous defensive midfield work. Almada acknowledged it’d be a sacrifice for a player of Cazorla’s profile, someone whose instincts are all about creating rather than covering. Whether he goes down that route on Saturday remains to be seen, but it shows the tactical headaches the absentees are causing.
Thiago Fernández’s situation
Almada also gave a measured update on Thiago Fernández, who’s been working his way back to full fitness:
- Training’s been going well, and the quality is clearly there
- But Almada wants to manage him carefully — he’s not yet at the level of consistency that professional football demands week in, week out
- The priority is to bring him on gradually rather than throw him in and have to yank him off early in the second half
It’s a sensible approach. No point rushing him back only to set him back again.
The trip up
Oviedo travelled to San Sebastián on Thursday evening, staying overnight ahead of the Saturday lunchtime kick-off (14:00 local time). Getting there early, getting settled — it’s the kind of preparation detail that matters when you’re asking your squad to perform away from home.
All told, Almada sounds like a man who knows exactly what’s coming. Whether his side can rise to it is another matter entirely.