Spain

Segunda Division

Monday 13th November 2023

Kick Off 21.00 On Time!

Real Oviedo 1 F.C Cartagena 1, attendance 12,203

2’ 0-1

90’ + 8, 1-1

@ Estadio Municipal Carlos Tartiere

Calle Isidro Langara

33013 Oviedo

€30 Admission + €2 Booking Fee, Print at Home Ticket.

It was a 3 hour drive west to Oviedo, in the region of Asturias, for tonight’s game, where 14th in the league table were hosting bottom. The stadium here has a 30,500 capacity, all seated, set out with two tiers in each stand. It was opened in 2000, replacing their former ground of the same name. Tickets were obtained online, although there would have been no problem buying on the night. Parking was once again available in the surrounding streets, although it meant a walk of around 15 minutes, which was almost double on the return, as the ground is at the foot of a very steep hill and the steps back up afterwards seemed never ending. Once back in the car, it was no more than two minutes before being on the ring road and heading back east towards Bilbao.

Cartagena got off to the perfect start, when a cross was volleyed in from the edge of the 18 yard box with just 1 minute 26 seconds on the clock. They seemed happy to try and hold out from here, rarely venturing near the Oviedo goal, a tactic that so nearly paid off. Oviedo quickly ran out of ideas and really struggled to break down the 10 man defence. They did think they’d levelled the scores just before the hour mark, but VAR said otherwise. Eight minutes into stoppage time they were awarded a penalty, this time the VAR intervening in their favour and with the last kick of the game they got an equaliser. It was 23.02 by this time. A ridiculously late finish for a midweek match. Their lacklustre display hardly warranted a point, but then again, Cartagena didn’t do too much after opening the scoring to have got anything more than a point either.

The atmosphere was pretty decent and they were whipped into quite a frenzy late on as they felt the match officials were not giving them any favourable decisions. There were repeated warnings on the big screens warning them about abusive chanting directed towards them, but it only resulted in whipping them up even more. I should imagine the atmosphere here would be great with a decent away following in place.I never noticed a single away supporter anywhere and even their goal was celebrated in complete silence. Not unexpected though, as Cartagena is 560 miles away, down in the southeast of the country.

So, this brought down the curtain on the trip to Spain. Five matches, only one 0-0 and covering just over 700 miles once picking up the hire car, having done Athletic Club Bilbao on public transport on the first night. The Tuesday lunchtime flight back to London Gatwick left a few minutes early, arriving back in Blighty around 20 minutes ahead of schedule.

Above : Oviedo score their stoppage time penalty equaliser.