After a 24-year absence, Real Oviedo will welcome FC Barcelona back to the Primera División tomorrow evening at Carlos Tartiere, a historic first in the Asturian club’s history, which has never played against the Catalans before. The omens could hardly be more different: while Barcelona are clear favorites in second place in the table with 13 points and a goal difference of +13 after their convincing 3-0 win over Getafe, Oviedo are fighting for every point in 17th place and suffered a bitter 1-0 defeat in Elche on Saturday. Hansi Flick’s team is in impressive form with four wins and one draw, is only five points behind Real Madrid and will officially wear the new Kobe Bryant collection for the first time, but will have to do without key players such as Lamine Yamal, Gavi and Balde. The betting market sees this match as virtually decided, with an 80% probability of an away win.
- Venue: Estadio Municipal Carlos Tartiere, Oviedo
- Date and time: 09/25/2025, 9:30 p.m.
- Competition: Primera División (Matchday 6)
Oviedo form & record check
After the emotional high of promotion, Real Oviedo is going through a difficult adjustment period in the first division. Only three points from four games and 17th place in the table speak for themselves, with the recent 2-1 defeat at Getafe continuing a run in which the team has lost four of its last five games. Interestingly, Oviedo’s possession game shows real quality: With 82.3% of passes completed, they rank 12th in the league, but this technical solidity fizzles out in the decisive areas. The core problem lies in their lack of punch in front of goal, where only nine shots on target in four games means they are second from bottom in the league, while they have already conceded seven goals and faced 29 shots from their opponents. Coach Paunovic recently experimented with numerous new faces against Getafe after six international players returned from their international duty: Javi López made his debut at left-back, while Brekalo, Hassan, and Ilic took on new roles, demonstrating both the flexibility of the squad and the uncertainty about the optimal lineup for the first division.
Paunovic is likely to revert to his tried and tested 4-2-3-1 formation for the upcoming game, as most of the internationals are back and fit after the international break. Escandell will probably be in goal after successfully displacing Moldovan, while in defense Rahim could move back to the left side if Javi López has to make way after his unconvincing performance in Getafe. Carmo has a good chance of starting alongside Calvo in central defense, especially after his solid performances with Angola. In midfield, Dendoncker and Sibo will form the center, while Hassan, Ilic, and Brekalo could form the attacking trio, and up front, Rondón will be preferred over Forés, especially since the Venezuelan has already enjoyed the coach’s trust in the first two games.
Barcelona Form & Record Check
FC Barcelona goes into the away game in Oviedo in strong form. The Catalans are unbeaten in five games, winning four of them and scoring in all five, with particular efficiency in the second half, winning four of their last five games there. The recent 3-1 win over Getafe underlined their attacking prowess, with Ferran Torres shining with a brace and Dani Olmo adding the finishing touch. Flick’s decision to bring Rashford off the bench after the Englishman arrived two minutes late for a team meeting was interesting, showing how consistently the German coach enforces his principles. The 2-1 victory in the Champions League in Newcastle was a hard-fought win in which Rashford proved his class with two goals, and the team appeared less spectacular than usual but more mature and compact in the decisive moments. With 13 points from five games, Barcelona are second in the table, level on points with Villarreal and five points behind Real Madrid, with a positive goal difference of +13 reflecting their attacking strength. However, Hansi Flick will be without some key players: Lamine Yamal is out with a groin injury, Gavi will be unavailable for months after his arthroscopy, and Fermín López is out for three weeks, meaning players such as Dani Olmo and Pedri will have to step into the breach.
Barcelona are likely to line up in their usual 4-3-3 formation against the newly promoted side from Oviedo, with Hansi Flick facing a number of personnel challenges. The most serious is the absence of Lamine Yamal, whose groin problems continue to cause concern and who will miss his second consecutive game. In addition, Gavi is out for four to five months after his arthroscopy, and Fermín López has a muscle injury. The line-up for the wide positions will be interesting: Joan García could make his debut between the posts, while Gerard Martín will have to fill the gap left by Balde in defense. In attack, Ferran Torres is likely to get another chance after scoring twice against Getafe, although Flick will be looking for continuity and proven players in this away game in order to maintain the unbeaten run.
H2H Oviedo – Barcelona Head-to-head & statistics
As Oviedo and FC Barcelona have never met before, there is no direct experience between the two teams in this historic first duel. While Barcelona has faced almost every Spanish club multiple times in recent decades, a meeting with Oviedo has not yet taken place, so both coaches will have to rely solely on their opponents’ current form and style of play without being able to draw on past encounters.
Over 2.5 goals forms the basis of our recommendations, as Ferran Torres leads a Barcelona attack that has scored at least three goals in four of its last five games. The Blaugrana come to Asturias with an impressive 14 goals from five league games, while Oviedo have conceded seven goals in their last four games, with the absence of Rahim on the left side of defense further weakening an already vulnerable back line. Over 3.5 goals also looks attractive, as Barcelona have scored four or more goals in 80% of their games this season and Marcus Rashford brings additional firepower. Oviedo’s high line invites quick counterattacks should the hosts fall behind early, as they often do. Even over 2.5 goals at halftime could make sense, given Barcelona’s habit of scoring within 25 minutes and Oviedo’s tendency to concede goals before the break. Both teams to score: No is based on Oviedo’s meager offense, which has failed to score in four of five games, while Barcelona has conceded only two goals. As an outsider tip, the draw at odds of 6.0 is tempting: with five players out, including Ter Stegen, Gavi, and Lamine Yamal, plus the prospect of rotation ahead of the PSG clash, Flick’s team could be vulnerable to an upset.
