Oviedo forward reflects on facing Real Madrid for second time in two months – ‘Can never relax against them’ | OneFootball

Real Oviedo striker Salomon Rondon is preparing for another huge challenge as his side get ready to face Real Madrid in La Liga this weekend.

In an interview with MARCA, the Venezuelan forward shared his thoughts on what it means to come up against Los Blancos, a team he has faced several times over the past year in different competitions, including the FIFA Club World Cup and the Intercontinental Cup.

In just one year he will face Madrid three times: the aforementioned Intercontinental final (with Pachuca); Club World Cup (Pachuca); and Sunday (Oviedo).

“My last matches against them have been intense. In the World Cup, after Asencio was shown a red card so early, we thought we had it under control and we lost 3-1.

Rondon knows that no matter the circumstances, Los Blancos always find a way to respond, which makes them one of the toughest opponents in world football.

“Against Madrid, you can never relax. They have great players and a new coach with clear ideas,” he said.

Praise for Mastantuono

Salomon Rondon is excited to face Real Madrid. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

Rondon also took a moment to speak about his brief time at River Plate in 2023, where he scored 10 goals in 35 games.

During that spell, he crossed paths with Franco Mastantuono, who was just beginning to train with the senior squad at the time.

“I didn’t coincide with him much, because he was very young. He sometimes went up to train with the first team and even then I saw that he had great quality details.

“He’s a boy with a lot of personality and I wish him all the best in his new stage at Real Madrid, which obviously doesn’t look at any player, of course.”

With Real Madrid investing in the Argentine prodigy, Rondon’s message underlines the midfielder’s potential and the high expectations surrounding him at the Santiago Bernabeu.