Delhi Dynamos FC suffered a narrow 1-0 loss to second division Spanish outfit Real Oviedo in a pre-season friendly at the Estadio Carlos Tartiere in Asturias on Thursday.A 21st minute goal in the first half by forward David Gonzales handed Oviedo a lead over the Lions as part of Delhi’s pre-season tour in Spain and Qatar.Keen to try out a revamped side, Delhi’s head coach Miguel Angel Portugal handed starts to five foreigners – Gabriel Cichero, Edu Moya, Matias Mirabaje, Jeroen Lumu and Guyon Fernandez. Left back Timothy Munmun Lugun also got a chance to play after missing out against Atletico Astorga.Oviedo started off strong, launching several attacks that put the visitors on the defence. Delhi recovered quickly with goalkeeper Albino Gomes stepping up to the task. His quick reflexes allowed for a spectacular double save that kept Oviedo from taking the lead. Five minutes later, Oviedo had another chance to score but a desperate tackle by veteran defender Cichero allowed his side to maintain an even footing with the hosts.However, Oviedo’s dedicated efforts finally bore fruit when forward David Gonzales made his way past the defence to score the lone goal of the match.In the latter stages of the first half, the Dynamos seemed to find their bearings and play as a more stable and co-ordinated squad. However, they were unable to make any efforts to equalise and the two teams went into the break with Oviedo in front.Portugal made several changes to the team in the second half, with eight substitutions to the line-up, including bringing on Paulinho. The Brazilian midfielder’s arrival paid off almost immediately as he narrowly missed out on scoring the equaliser with a long-ranged shot that struck the crossbar.While Oviedo held the majority of possession in the second half, they were unable to make a dent in Delhi’s defence. With neither team able to make any chances in the final half of the match, Oviedo emerged with a 1-0 victory.This was the second pre-season friendly that the Dynamos have played, following their match against third division Spanish team Atletico Astorga.
