Real Oviedo fell 1-0 to Elche CF this Sunday at the Martínez Valero, in a match where the blues failed to capitalize on their chances despite improving in the second half. After the game, Veljko Paunovic appeared at a press conference and assessed both the defeat and his team's progress.
The Serbian coach expressed his disappointment with the result, although he highlighted the team's performance: “Overall, we played our best away game, but we are not happy with the result. It wasn’t enough. The improvement in the second half was clear, with a disallowed goal and chances. However, starting the game with a great opportunity and not converting it was a shame. Additionally, we were naive in the play leading to their goal, which was avoidable in the buildup, and we need to correct those things.”
Paunovic emphasized the change in attitude after the break and the contribution of the substitutes: “We improved as the game went on, we had chances to equalize, even one-on-one situations. The anxiety to take advantage of a favorable attacking play hurt us. The players who came on had a great game, and we’ve gained a great center-back with Carmo, who showed quality and leadership. We were looking to exploit the space behind their defense, and in the second half, we managed to do so.”
Despite the defeat, the Oviedo coach believes his team is making progress in several aspects of the game: “We’ve improved in creating attacking situations, in pressing in midfield and up front, and our defenders won many duels. We also created chances in transitions, but we didn’t convert them. We need to improve our offensive set-pieces. The turnovers are part of the anxiety to please. We lack cohesion, getting to know each other better on the field, but there are no excuses. Now it’s time to react against a great team.”