Defending La Liga champions Barcelona host bottom of the league Real Oviedo on Sunday afternoon looking to bounce back after dropping points in Spain’s top flight for the first time in over two months a week ago.
Barcelona’s frustrating defeat away at Real Sociedad saw their lead atop the standings shrink to just one point over Real Madrid. Hansi Flick’s side responded with a 4–2 Champions League victory midweek, but are now obligated to secure three points against a deeply struggling side.
Three different permanent managers have been at the helm of Real Oviedo since their most recent La Liga win on Sept. 30. The newly promoted side have failed to impress in their return to the top flight and now Guillermo Almada’s men require a monumental effort to both upset Barcelona and then avoid relegation.
In their first game at the Camp Nou since Dec. 13, Barcelona must return to winning ways domestically against a weak opponent, or a massive blow could be dealt to their title defense.
Here is Sports Illustrated’s guide to Barcelona vs. Real Oviedo.
What Time Does Barcelona vs. Real Oviedo Kick Off?
- Location: Barcelona, Spain
- Stadium: Spotify Camp Nou
- Date: Sunday, Jan. 25
- Kick-off Time: 10:15 a.m. ET / 7:15 a.m. PT / 8:15 a.m. GMT
Barcelona vs. Real Oviedo Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)
- Barcelona: 3 wins
- Real Oviedo: 2 wins
- Draws: 0
Current Form (All Competitions)
| Barcelona | Real Oviedo |
|---|---|
| Slavia Prague 2–4 Barcelona - 21/1/26 | Osasuna 3–2 Real Oviedo - 17/1/26 |
| Real Sociedad 2–1 Barcelona - 18/1/26 | Real Oviedo 1–1 Real Betis - 10/1/26 |
| Racing 0–2 Barcelona - 15/1/26 | Alavés 1–1 Real Oviedo - 4/1/26 |
| Barcelona 3–2 Real Madrid - 11/1/26 | Real Oviedo 0–0 Celta Vigo - 20/12/25 |
| Barcelona 5–0 Athletic Club - 7/1/26 | Sevilla 4–0 Real Oviedo - 14/12/25 |
How to Watch Barcelona vs. Real Oviedo on TV, Live Stream
| Country | TV/Live Stream |
|---|---|
| United States | ESPN Select, ESPN Deportes, ESPN App, fuboTV |
| United Kingdom | Premier Sports 1, Premier Sports Player |
| Canada | TSN 2, TSN+ |
| Mexico | Sky Sports Mexico, Sky+ |
Barcelona Team News
Barcelona’s attack will be boosted by Lamine Yamal and Raphinha featuring together from the start for the first time since the Spanish Super Cup final. Raphinha missed Barcelona’s defeat to Real Sociedad a week ago for precautionary reasons and Yamal was suspended for the midweek clash against Slavia Prague.
But not everything is good news for the Catalans. Pedri injured his hamstring midweek and will be out of action for a month. Dani Olmo replaced him against Slavia and scored the match-winner so he could get the nod on Sunday, with Eric García being the other most likely Pedri replacement, leaving a spot vacant in defense.
Elsewhere, Robert Lewandowski will lead the line, Pau Cubarsí will return after getting a night off and both Barça fullbacks need to rediscover their mojo or João Cancelo might start getting more regular playing time.
Barcelona Predicted Lineup vs. Real Oviedo
Barcelona Predicted Lineup vs. Real Oviedo (4-2-3-1): García; Koundé, Cubarsí, García, Balde; De Jong, Olmo; Yamal, López, Raphinha; Lewandowski.
Real Oviedo Team News
Real Oviedo will travel to Catalonia boosted by the return of starting center back David Carmo, who returned from AFCON only to get suspended two games into his reappearance. Now, he’s poised to partner skipper David Costas in the heart of the backline.
Eric Bailly, Ovie Ejaria and Jaime Vázquez all face late fitness tests to determine their availability for the clash, but it would be a surprise if any of the them features from the start.
Santiago Colombatto and Federico Viñas have become mainstays in Almada’s lineup, with all three figures recently joining Real Oviedo from Liga MX sister clubs Pachuca and León.
Real Oviedo Predicted Lineup vs. Barcelona
Real Oviedo Predicted Lineup vs. Barcelona (4-4-2): Escandell; Ahijado, Costas, Carmo, Alhassane; Hassan, Sibo, Colombatto, Chaira; Reina, Viñas.
Barcelona vs. Real Oviedo Score Prediction
Both teams are separated by more than 35 points in La Liga despite having just reached the halfway point of the season. That gap will translate to what transpires on the pitch on Sunday, as Barcelona won’t have much trouble dispatching Real Oviedo.
Regardless of Barcelona’s suspect backline and Pedri’s absence, the Catalans simply boast too much firepower for the visitors to contain. It might take some time to break the deadlock, but once Barça score the first, it’s easy to envisage plenty more goals will follow.
After over a month away from home, Flick’s men will hope to deliver a dominant performance as a response to their defeat against Real Sociedad a week ago.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Barcelona vs. Real Oviedo: Preview, Predictions and Lineups.
