Focused on winning. With that mentality, Real Oviedo presented themselves at the Carlos Tartiere to face the 13th matchday of LaLiga EA Sports. The Carbayones faced Rayo Vallecano in the sixth home game of the season, where the team from the capital of the Principality aimed to secure three new points in the First Division. After the defeat against Athletic Club, Luis Carrión started with Aarón Escandell, Nacho Vidad, David Costas, Dani Calvo, Javi López, Dendoncker, Colombatto, Viñas, Cazorla, Ilyas, and Rondón.
The most notable news before the match was in the blue starting eleven: Santi Cazorla returned to the starting lineup after several weeks away from the pitch, receiving applause from a Tartiere that celebrated his comeback. From the start, Luis Carrión's team took the initiative. The Carbayón team dominated possession and the pace, while Iñigo Pérez's team tried to find their opportunity on the counterattack. The game plan was being followed: local control, visitor verticality.
The match seemed to break open after the half-hour mark. Cazorla came close to scoring with a masterful free kick, distant but precise, which ended up hitting the crossbar after a great strike. The captain was just centimeters away from opening the scoring. Barely two minutes later, Oviedo came close to the reward again: Batalla responded with a great save to send a powerful right-footed shot from Ilyas to a corner. The local pressure was growing, and Rayo struggled to contain the blues. At the other end, Aarón Escandell had a relatively quiet first half, and Real Oviedo went into the break feeling they deserved more in a first 45 minutes where they were clearly superior.
The restart brought the first substitution: Rahim came on for Javi López. However, the blue plan changed abruptly seven minutes into the second half. Ilyas Chaira was sent off in the 52nd minute after a challenge on Isi, leaving Oviedo with 10 players and forcing a tactical adjustment. Despite the disadvantage, the team kept competing. Carrión sought energy and freshness by bringing on Hassan and Agudín. And just six minutes later, one of the key moments of the match arrived: a penalty for Rayo Vallecano. Isi took responsibility, but Escandell guessed the shot and saved the penalty, lifting the Tartiere.
Rayo, driven by their numerical superiority, responded with a clear chance: a shot hit the crossbar in the 77th minute with a great strike from outside the box. Carrión continued to make changes, bringing on Reina for Dendoncker in the 78th minute and Forés for Viñas in the 85th, trying to sustain the final effort. The added time still left one last controversial moment: a red card for Ciss in the 91st minute, which evened the numbers in the final moments, although the scoreline would not change.
A draw that leaves bittersweet feelings: dominance and chances in the first half, resilience and character in the second. The Tartiere recognized the effort of their team. Next stop: Riyadh Air Metropolitano Stadium.
