Real Oviedo manager Guillermo Almada did not shy away from praising individual brilliance after his side were beaten 3-0 by Barcelona.
While the scoreline favoured the Blaugrana, Almada made it clear that the match was far more competitive than the final result suggested, especially during the opening half.
The Oviedo manager reserved special words for Lamine Yamal, whose spectacular acrobatic goal drew admiration even from the opposition bench.
Reflecting on the moment, Almada openly acknowledged the unique quality of the young Barcelona forward, saying,
“He is a player from another galaxy because of the decisions he makes at key moments. He is a decisive figure in moments of definition despite his young age.”
Analysing the defeat
Despite the loss, Almada was keen to defend his team’s approach. He explained that the defeat came down to small but costly lapses rather than a lack of effort or structure.
In his assessment, Oviedo paid the price for “isolated mistakes” and “a lack of definition”.
Lamine Yamal, Barcelona player
Lamine Yamal scored a fantastic goal against Oviedo. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
The Oviedo coach admitted to feeling frustration after seeing his team compete well for long periods. He said,
“I feel a little sad. We were playing a good game, competing on equal terms, and mistakes cost us in areas where we couldn’t afford to make them.
“The quality of the players we were up against meant they weren’t going to forgive us. Unfortunately, it ended up costing us the game.”
Almada also highlighted how well his side limited Barcelona early on. He felt that Oviedo had been defensively solid and only lost control after individual errors shifted the momentum.
“We were solid. Unfortunately, we made individual mistakes in dangerous areas and they didn’t forgive us.
“In the first half, I don’t remember Barcelona having any chances, and after the goals, I only remember one or two more because we took more risks.”
He concluded, “In the first half, it was very even. It’s not easy to control Barcelona the way we did.”
Source: Mundo Deportivo