Alonso and Madrid look for more fluidity on trip to Oviedo

AFTER winning without convincing against Osasuna in their opening match of the season in La Liga, Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid head to Real Oviedo tomorrow for what will be a gala occasion for the newly-promoted side.

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Oviedo returned to Spain’s top flight after an absence of almost a quarter of a century by beating Mirandes in the second-tier playoff final in June.

The club from the northern region of Asturias, coached by Serbian former player Veljko Paunovic, were therefore left facing a quick turnaround before tackling life back in La Liga.

With a 40-year-old Santi Cazorla coming off the bench and Venezuela veteran Salomon Rondon leading the attack, Oviedo lost 2-0 away at Villarreal in their first game back in the elite.

Now they host the 15-time European champions in front of what will be a sellout 30,000 crowd at the Estadio Carlos Tartiere.

Alonso took charge of Madrid ahead of the Club World Cup, in which his new charges reached the semifinals before suffering a humiliating defeat at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain.