Real Oviedo traveled to German soil to face FC Nuremberg from Bundesliga 2 this afternoon. Calero's starting lineup included: Escandell, Dani Calvo, Costas, Nacho Vidal, Juan Cruz, Reina, Youness, Jacobo, Villahermosa, Isfan, and Carlos Fernández.
The Bavarians dominated during the first half and appeared much fresher. Two goals, one in the 9th minute and another in the 18th, reflected what was seen in the first 45 minutes of play.
The Carbayón side looked completely different after the restart. A team that seemed to have regained energy with the break and substitutions. Chris Ramos, Aldasoro, Pablo S., and Samu came on, replacing Juan Cruz, Villahermosa, Ișfan, and Carlos Fernández.
A tremendous downpour on the pitch of the Max-Morlock-Stadion seemed to favor Real Oviedo, who quickly had their first chance through Alberto Reina. The player from Chiclana failed to connect cleanly with the ball after a cutback pass from Oviedo's new number 9.
Good minutes from debutant Chris Ramos. In the 50th minute, Jacobo managed to connect between the lines with the player from Cádiz, and his shot was deflected by Polish goalkeeper Robin Lisewski. The Carbayón striker's attempts didn’t stop there. What could have been an interesting one-on-one between attacker and goalkeeper turned into a clear foul on Ramos by Janisch. Last man and a clear red card.
Rough play from the Bavarians, with fouls, numerous cards for both teams, and excessive aggression for an early August friendly, which saw the second sending-off of the afternoon in the 61st minute. A harsh tackle on Pablo S. left FC Nuremberg with another man down.
Numerical superiority and constant pressure until the 90th minute from Calero's side, who were unlucky in front of goal today. New substitutions brought their moments of prominence. Enzo, in the 75th minute, with a great shot that forced an even better save, and Mingo, in the 78th minute, came close to scoring the first goal for the blues.
A goal that wouldn’t come until the 84th minute. And what a goal it was. Pablo S. picked up the ball on the right wing, drove inside, and with his left foot placed the ball in the top corner, making the goalkeeper's dive futile. Real Oviedo pushed for an equalizer they deserved, which almost came from Marco Esteban’s header. The youth player, who also got minutes in the match, saw his effort miss the target by a very small margin.
A narrow defeat in Real Oviedo's fourth preseason match, a team that returns to national territory today and continues fine-tuning their preparations ahead of the league's start.