Barcelona will be looking for their third consecutive league win when they hit the road to face newly promoted Real Oviedo.
Defending La Liga champions Barcelona have been playing an impressive brand of football in the new season, and they will be looking to maintain their unbeaten start to the season when they face Real Oviedo, who have not had a promising start on their return to the top flight.
The home team are 17th on the points table with just three points in their first five league outings. They started the season with consecutive defeats against Villarreal and Real Madrid. However, they did secure all three points against Real Sociedad prior to the international.
While the game against Real Sociedad did give their fans a lot of hope, things have not been that great for them post the break, as they have suffered defeats against Getafe and Elche. Real Oviedo will have to do much better to stand a chance of securing even a point against Hansi Flick’s team.
The visitors are second on the points table with 13 points in their five outings. They have won four out of their five games. Post the break, the Catalan giants have been a force to reckon with. They have been rock solid at the back and have been scoring goals for fun.
The Blaugrana are five points behind league leaders Real Madrid, who were in action on Tuesday night. With Los Blancos winning, Barcelona will be under pressure to secure all three points and stay within touching distance.
Hansi Flick’s charges head into this fixture on the back of a clinical 3-0 win over Getafe and are outright favourites to take the spoils. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Real Oviedo
Nacho Vidal and Luka Ilic are major doubts for this fixture after being forced off in their defeat to Elche. Meanwhile, Alvaro Lemos, David Costas, and Ovie Ejaria are all unavailable. However, they do have a boost as Federico Vinas is back available after serving a suspension.
Against Barcelona, Real Oviedo are expected to feature in a 3-4-1-2 formation, which will be more of a back five for the majority of the game as Barcelona are expected to dominate the ball.
Aaron Escandell will feature in goal. He will be protected by the backline of Eric Bailly, David Carmo, and Dani Calvo. Trio will receive significant support from Lucas Ahijado and Rahim Alhassane in the wide areas, as the duo will feature as wing-backs.
As for the midfield unit, Alberto Reina will pair up with Leander Dendoncker in the centre of the park. The duo will look to ensure the Barcelona midfielders do not dominate the ball too deep in their half. Santiago Colombatto should take up the number ten role, while Ilyas Chaira will partner with Salomon Rondon in the final third.
Probable Lineup (3-4-1-2): Escandell; Bailly, Carmo, Calvo; Ahijado, Dendoncker, Reina, Alhassane; Colombatto; Chaira, Rondon
Barcelona
Fermin Lopez picked up a groin injury in their last outing, and the Spanish international is expected to be sidelined for three weeks. He joins Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Gavi, and Alejandro Balde on the treatment table.
Meanwhile, Ballon d’Or runner-up Lamine Yamal’s availability is a major doubt because of a groin issue, and he will be assessed ahead of kick-off. The visitors will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Joan Garcia will continue in goal. Jules Kounde and Gerard Martin will continue as the full-backs, while Pau Cubarsi will partner with Eric Garcia in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Frenkie De Jong and Pedri will form the double pivot in the middle of the park. The duo will shield the backline, control the tempo of the game and dominate the proceedings.
Dani Olmo should continue to feature as the number ten. Meanwhile, Ferran Torres and Raphinha will feature on the flanks, while Robert Lewandowski will spearhead the Barcelona attack against Real Oviedo on Thursday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Joan Garcia; Kounde, Eric Garcia, Cubarsi, Martin; Pedri, de Jong; Raphinha, Olmo, Torres; Lewandowski
Key Stats
- Barcelona have won all three of their games post the international break and have bagged 11 goals in them, while conceding just once.
- The Catalan giants have won each of their last six league games played on Thursday.
- However, Barcelona have lost three out of their last four away league games against Real Oviedo.
- The home team have lost four out of their first five league games upon their return to the top flight.
- Real Oviedo have only found the back of the net once, the lowest tally in the league.
Player to Watch
Raphinha
Raphinha will certainly be disappointed having finished fifth in the race for the Ballon d’Or after a season where he bagged 34 goals and 25 assists. The Brazilian international will be determined to put it behind him with a stellar performance against Oviedo on Thursday.
Raphinha already has three goals and two assists in five league outings, and it won’t be much of a surprise if he ends up adding to his tally. The 28-year-old can certainly have a massive say on the end result of this fixture.
Prediction
Real Oviedo 0-5 Barcelona
Barcelona head into this fixture in ruthless form, and it is hard to see anything other than a comfortable win for the defending champions. Hansi Flick’s men have been rock solid at the back and lethal going forward since the international break, scoring goals with ease while barely giving opponents a sniff.
For Real Oviedo, the task looks daunting. They have only managed one goal in five games and are struggling to cope with the demands of top-flight football. While the home fans will hope for a spirited performance, Barcelona’s firepower and form make an upset highly unlikely. The Hard Tackle predicts a 5-0 win for the defending champions.
