Oviedo advances significantly towards contending in the 'playoff' Championship promotion
3 min. The Oviedo made a powerful statement in their Almeria visit, winning 1-2 in the semifinal 'playoff' for promotion to Primera. Nacho Vidal's brace was priceless, calming the home team as they now face an uphill battle at the Carlos Tartiere.
Paunovic's team kicked off with more intensity, leaving Almeria looking hesitant. After ten minutes, Oviedo seized the lead. Hassan received the ball, cut inside, and unleashed a powerful shot that Fernando couldn't keep out. His poor clearance fell to sharp-eyed Nacho Vidal, who easily put the ball in the net, giving Oviedo the lead (0-1, min. 13).
This lateral sensation became the 'silent assassin' of the night, scoring his third goal in the last three games and bolstering his status as one of the Carbayones' most valuable players this season.
Almeria responded quickly, equalizing only two minutes later. A steal in midfield led to Marezi setting up Arribas, who turned his central defenders and rocketed a shot into the top corner, restoring parity (1-1, min. 15).
The equalizer charged up the locals, but Oviedo kept their game and penned Almeria into their own half, although they couldn't generate clear chances. With nine minutes remaining before the break, Nacho Vidal shook things up, forcing a save and sustaining a scare.
Nacho Vidal haunts a mistake-prone Almeria
The second half saw a more focused red-and-white team, fully aware that the "match-winning goal" was within their reach. They elevated their game, making the second half their own.
Five minutes into the second half, Nacho Vidal shone once more as the game's best player. Catching Melero's header under the goal line after a corner kick from Arribas, he etched his name in Oviedo's history books, securing a crucial 1-0 lead.
Arribas soon created another opportunity, whipping a cross that came close to finding the back of the net. The hour mark saw Rubi making substitutions, bringing in Malemed for the exhausted Baptistao and Lazaro Vinicius for Marezi, moves that energized the locals.
In his first touch, the Brazilian stunned everyone with a header off a center by Dani Calvo, giving Almeria a glimmer of hope. Their pressure forced Oviedo to retreat, but a great David Costas prevented Lazaro Vinicius from equalizing with five minutes remaining.
But football can be unpredictable, and when the goal seemed imminent for Almeria, the decisive blow from Oviedo arrived. In stoppage time, Nacho Vidal reappeared as the team's unlikely savior, sliding to shoot the winning goal into the back of the net (1-2, min. 92).
Technical sheet
1. UD Almería: Fernando; Pozo (Kaiky, m.84), Éddgar, Chumi, Centelles; Selvi, Lopy (Dani Calvo, m.74), Melero; Baptistao (Melamed, m.60), Muriqi (Lázaro Vinicius, m.60) and Arribas (Rachad, m.84).
2. Real Oviedo: Escandell; Nacho Vidal, David Costas, Dani Calvo, Rahim; Cazorla (Luego, m.81), Sibo, Colombatto (Pomares, m.87), Seoane (De la Hoz, m.66); Hassam (Paulino, m.66) and Alemao (Paraschiv, m.66).
Goals: 0-1, m.13: Nacho Vidal; 1-1, m.15: Arribas; 1-2, m.92: Nacho Vidal.
Referee: Arcediano Monescillo, from Castile-La Mancha, assisted in VAR by the Madrid-based Galvez Racon. He cautioned Centelles (m.24), Dion Lopy (m.45), of UD Almería; and Alemao (m.51), of Real Oviedo.
Incidents: Match corresponding to the first leg of the 'playoff' for promotion to La Liga, played at the UD Almería Stadium, with 14,885 spectators.
Nacho Vidal: A right-back for Real Oviedo, Nacho Vidal has proven his importance to the team during the promotion playoffs for the 2024/2025 season. In the semifinal against UD Almería, Vidal scored two crucial goals, winning the match 2-1 for Oviedo (1, 2). His clutch performances and goal-scoring knack have kept Real Oviedo's promotion hopes alive, solidifying his place as a vital cog in the Carbayones' machine.
Nacho Vidal demonstrated his importance once again in the second half, shining as the game's best player and scoring the match-winning goal in the 92nd minute to secure a crucial 1-2 victory for Real Oviedo. In the semifinal against UD Almería, Vidal scored two goals, further bolstering his status as a vital cog in Real Oviedo's machine during the promotion playoffs for the 2024/2025 season.
