Barcelona vs Real Oviedo: 24 Years Later They Meet Again in LaLiga With Cazorla Starting and Without Lamine Yamal

FC Barcelona and Real Oviedo will face each other again in an official LaLiga EA Sports match 24 years later. The game will be played at the Carlos Tartiere, where Hansi Flick’s side enters as heavy favorites against the newly promoted team, which will feature Santi Cazorla as a starter for the first time this season.

The last time these two teams met in Oviedo was in January 2001, a match that ended 2-3 in favor of Barça with goals from Rivaldo and Patrick Kluivert. Now, the Catalan club is aiming for their fifth win in six matches to remain near the top of the league table.

Key Absences for Barça: Lamine Yamal, Gavi and Ter Stegen

Barcelona will face this clash with several key injuries. Lamine Yamal, sidelined with Spain, will be one of the biggest absences, while Gavi and Fermín López will also miss the game. In addition, Marc-André ter Stegen remains unavailable, though Joan García has solidified his role as the starting goalkeeper. Flick will also be without Alejandro Balde, who is close to returning but will not feature against Oviedo.

In defense, options include Ronald Araújo, Eric García or Andreas Christensen, while the midfield pivot is expected to be Pedri alongside Frenkie de Jong, with Dani Olmo as attacking midfielder. In attack, Flick has several possibilities: Raphinha on the right, Marcus Rashford on the left, and an in-form Ferran Torres, who is competing with Robert Lewandowski for a starting spot.

Real Oviedo Counting on the Carlos Tartiere Factor

On the Real Oviedo side, coach Veljko Paunovic confirmed that Santi Cazorla will start for the first time this season. The Asturian club has been dealing with absences such as Nacho Vidal, David Costas and Ovie Ejaria, though they recover Luka Ilic, who is expected to return to the lineup. In midfield, Dendoncker will be joined by either Sibo or Alberto Reina, while Álex Forés and Ilyas Chaira are options in attack.

Oviedo has recorded just one win so far in LaLiga, precisely at the Carlos Tartiere against Real Sociedad, and they’ll look to pull off another upset against a star-studded Barcelona.