Oviedo secured a narrow 3-2 victory over Antwerp in a Club Friendlies encounter on Friday evening, a result that reflected the open nature of their pre-season meeting.
The hosts took an early lead through A. Samatta, who found the net in the eighth minute before Antwerp responded quickly. Youness equalised for the visitors just four minutes later, and then Marco Esteban restored Oviedo's advantage with a goal in the fifteenth minute.
And here's the thing — the match opened up further when A. Reina brought Antwerp level in the twenty-first minute. Both sides exchanged chances in what became an end-to-end contest, until Oviedo's late winner in the ninety-third minute settled the affair.
The statistics told a story of parity: each side registered roughly fifty percent possession, with Oviedo completing eighty-one attacks to Antwerp's seventy-eight. The visitors won more corners, six to four, and committed three yellow cards compared to Oviedo's single booking.
By then both teams had been testing themselves against various opponents over the preceding weeks. Oviedo's recent results included a 1-2 defeat to Nurnberg and a comfortable 4-0 win over Ponferradina, while Antwerp's form showed a 0-1 loss to Ipswich and a 1-1 draw with Laval.
The result leaves both sides with positive momentum heading into the new campaign, though friendlies remain friendlies — the real measure will come when the competitive fixtures begin.