Eldense experiences moments when the fragility of football is obvious. The shockwave from the club’s sale finally closes a chapter that carried the team from forgotten beginnings to professional status. On the field, a 532-day unbeaten run can vanish in a mere fifteen minutes, leaving observers stunned and questioning what comes next.
Eldense owner sells the club
Pedro Rojas
In the blink of an eye, Eldense found themselves 0-2 against Oviedo, a team that had not yet tasted league victory at Nuevo Pepico Amat this season. The world appeared inverted. It is worth recalling that the Blaugrana had not tasted defeat in a league match since April 2022, when they were competing in the Second RFEF. The rapid succession of events in those 15 minutes brought disappointment into once-familiar territory, reminding fans that surprises still have a place in the game.
Looking at the opening thirty minutes of the one-hour match between Eldense and Oviedo, the scoreline could have swung either way, depending on a touch of fortune. Oviedo appeared complete while Eldense’s home crowd sat in near silence. Bretons reacted decisively on the left flank, and a burst of speed led to a strike that would have impressed even a legend like Roberto Carlos. He cut inside, accelerated down his lane, and struck with precision enough to fool Guille Vallejo. A moment earlier, David Costas had cleared Cris Montes’ effort off the line. Then, just after falling behind 0-1, Soberón sent a shot from beyond the arc toward the crossbar. These episodes stemmed from steals by Fernando Estévez’s men in midfield, underscoring the effectiveness of Luis Carrión’s pressing as his team pressed higher up the pitch.
The second goal from the Carbayons followed. Paulino lined up a right-footed strike from the edge of the box. The shot bent, grazed the post, then found Vallejo’s net, leaving the keeper with little chance on the response.
He watched with growing concern as the team absorbed four blows—two conceded, two clear chances missed. If that wasn’t enough, Barça’s defense looked exposed again before the half-hour mark. Borja Bastón converted a pass from Paulino, a move that left local defenders looking passive, slow, or simply overwhelmed, you choose.
Estévez attempted to reshuffle the deck in a bid to spark change. He even pulled Youness to the three-point line, but Oviedo’s defense would not be dragged into traps. The visitors looked so dominant that Carrión even ordered Seoane back into position. Just before the break Bastón squeezed in a fourth for Oviedo.
More gray matter than muscle
Pedro Rojas
Salcedo premiere
The second half belonged to Oviedo in practical terms: Eldense could not find a way to narrow the huge deficit, and the visitors took control as the clock wore on. Dani Calvo produced a crucial stop after a triple substitution that saw Estévez bring on Capó, Iván Chapela, and Álex Bernal in one moment of tactical reshuffling.
The pattern remained the same after halftime. Oviedo waited and pressed, while Eldense struggled to mount an answer to the scoreboard. Yet there was a bright note in the stands, where around four thousand fans kept up their noisy support despite the heavy scoreline on the Pepico Amat turf.
There was a moment of ceremonial focus as Santi Cazorla stepped onto the pitch to warm up, greeted with applause. The former Villarreal and Arsenal star, twice a European champion with his national team, enjoyed a brief cameo in what many called LaLiga Hypermotion’s final act. Salcedo, on loan from Inter Milan, converted a penalty awarded by Luismi to give Eldense a glimmer of hope. The call for a late miracle resonated with the crowd after the referee awarded a penalty more easily recognized as a 0-3 outcome than a 0-0 draw.
Salcedo’s goal offered a small lift for Eldense and the team briefly capitalized on Leo Román’s handling during an injury interruption. The final 1-3 result closed a 532-day run of home defeats, a season-long stretch without a loss at home that had endured since the club’s descent to the lower leagues. The match underscored a turning point as Pascual Pérez prepared to depart from his role as president and owner, the figure who had led the club through drastic changes and ultimately left a mark on the club’s trajectory in Spanish football’s second tier.