Luis Carrión Critiques Team Performance Against Athletic Club

Real Oviedo head coach Luis Carrión did not hold back after his team’s performance against Athletic Club, voicing frustration over their lack of intensity and conviction — particularly in the second half.

“In the second half, we lacked something more — both football and spirit,” Carrión admitted after the match. “We need to be more aggressive with the ball. We are too correct in our play. Athletic Club is the best team in Spain when it comes to pressing, and we must play with more conviction. We can compete with anyone, but we need to compensate for our deficiencies with boldness.”

The coach emphasized that Oviedo’s cautious approach prevented them from sustaining pressure or building momentum after a competitive first half.

“The idea was the same as in the first half, but we lacked energy and solutions — neither through the middle nor with long balls,” Carrión explained. “Perhaps playing more vertically would have helped, even though it’s not our natural game. We weren’t as direct as we needed to be, and that disappointed me.”

Despite a solid defensive effort in the first 45 minutes and several chances on goal, Oviedo fell behind to a moment of individual brilliance from Nico Williams, which Carrión accepted without criticism.

“He’s a top-level player — there’s nothing to reproach there,” the coach said. “We were capable of competing and even winning, but in the second half, we lacked daring.”

The defeat leaves Real Oviedo searching for consistency as Carrión continues to demand greater aggression and creativity from his squad.