Almada blasts referee after Oviedo snatch late draw at Real Sociedad

Real Oviedo came from behind to nick a point at Anoeta in dramatic fashion — but manager Almada left the Basque Country with more than just satisfaction about the result.

A proper away day grind

Oviedo had gone 2-0 up in the second half through a Viñas double, which on paper sounds like a comfortable afternoon. It wasn’t. Real Sociedad clawed it back, and it looked like the visitors were going home with nothing — until a late corner routine rescued a point right at the death.

Almada was clearly chuffed with how his players dug in:

• The Uruguayan boss praised the collective effort, saying the squad had given absolutely everything to hold on for something
• Notably, all three of Oviedo’s goals came from set-piece corners — and Almada made clear that wasn’t a coincidence: “We’ve been working on those situations”
• He did acknowledge his side weren’t at their sharpest defensively at times, but felt the character shown more than made up for it

Referee rage

Here’s where it gets a bit spicy. Almada had some choice words for referee José Luis Munuera — and he didn’t exactly mince them.

His verdict on the official? Terrible. He felt every 50/50 decision went the home side’s way, and suggested this is something Oviedo are going to have to get used to as they continue life in the top flight.

It’s the kind of complaint you hear from newly-promoted sides across Europe — the feeling that referees subconsciously give the benefit of the doubt to the bigger clubs. Whether that’s fair on Munuera is another matter, but you can understand why Almada’s a bit wound up when his side are fighting for every single point.

What this means for Oviedo

A draw away at Real Sociedad is no mug’s result, let’s be honest. Anoeta is a proper tough place to go, and coming back from 2-0 up to then equalise in stoppage time after being pegged back shows a bit of bottle.

• Viñas was the standout performer with his brace
• The set-piece work is clearly a deliberate tactical weapon under Almada
• The resilience in the squad is growing — this lot aren’t just making up the numbers

Oviedo are still very much in a scrap to stay up, but performances like this suggest they’ve got enough about them to give it a real go. One point from a tough away fixture — they’ll take it, even if the referee left a bad taste.