Real Oviedo manager Julián Calero has praised his team's tremendous character after they fought back from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw away at league leaders Almería. The Blues, now 8th in the Segunda División with 18 points, showed a mental strength that could prove vital for their campaign ambitions.
The match at the Estadio de los Juegos Mediterráneos started in the worst possible way for the visitors. Sergio Arribas opened the scoring for the hosts in the 16th minute and Miguel De la Fuente doubled the advantage eleven minutes later. Oviedo went into halftime facing a deficit that seemed insurmountable. Calero reacted with a double substitution and a tactical shift to a 4-4-2, a move that changed the course of the game.
"The boys did not give up at any point," the coach stated in the press conference. He highlighted the collective work and the impact of the players who came off the bench, key to turning the game around. Calero acknowledged the team lacked decisiveness in the first half but improved markedly after the break, creating chances and dominating possession.
The late comeback
Oviedo's belief materialised in the 87th minute. A cross from Villahermosa found the head of Jacobo González, who scored his first goal for the club since his summer signing to make it 2-1. The pressure continued and, in stoppage time, a move involving Enzo Pérez ended with a shot deflected into his own net by an Almería defender, sealing the draw. Goalkeeper Andrés was also key, making several key saves to keep hope alive.
This point keeps Oviedo in the hunt for the higher places, seven points behind leaders Almería. Their recent form of three wins, a draw and one loss in the last five matches shows a positive trend. Top scorer Carlos Domínguez, with four goals this season, was a significant absence for this fixture.
Calero also played down the impact of a delay to the team's charter flight, confirming the players arrived on time and rested normally. He praised the experience brought by Nacho Vidal and the strong debut of Enzo Pérez, while celebrating the goal-scoring return of Jacobo. Oviedo's next fixture is against UD Las Palmas at the Estadio Carlos Tartiere on November 2nd. The aim is to take three points at home to continue climbing the table.
The original report is at Real Oviedo.es
