Barça continue their chase for top spot when they visit newly-promoted Real Oviedo on Thursday evening. Meanwhile, the Carbayones have an opportunity to move clear of the relegation zone.
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Barcelona will close the gap on early pace-setters Real Madrid if they can register their third consecutive La Liga victory, having comfortably defeated Getafe and Valencia in recent weeks. The Catalans haven't played at the Estadio Carlos Tartiere for over two decades, having beaten Oviedo the last time the pair met in Asturias back in January 2001.
Having only managed to amass three points from their opening five matches, Veljko Paunović's men find themselves at the wrong end of the La Liga table. However, Oviedo have already had to navigate some extremely tough fixtures, so will still have aspirations of avoiding a relegation scrap on their return to the Spanish top-flight.
Predictions for Real Oviedo vs. FC Barcelona; Thursday, 20:30 (BST)
Barcelona to score in both halves: 8/11 (bet365)
Joan García to make 2+ saves: 8/11 (bet365)
Odds courtesy of bet365. Correct at time of publication and subject to change.
The story so far....
As alluded to previously, Oviedo have endured a challenging start to the new season. After being soundly beaten by Villarreal and Real Madrid, the Asturians notched up a first win against a lacklustre Real Sociedad outfit. However, they've lost both of their next two fixtures following the international break, losing 2-0 to Getafe at the Estadio Coliseum before suffering a disappointing defeat at the hands of Elche, who were also promoted from the Segunda División at the conclusion of the 2024/25 campaign.
In stark contrast to Thursday's opponents, Barça have won four of their first five league matches, netting three goals or more in each of these triumphs. Their only blip came on matchday three, when they toiled to a 1-1 draw with Rayo Vallecano in the Spanish capital.
Barcelona to score in both halves
Barcelona have consistently demonstrated their immense attacking capabilities throughout the season's early exchanges, particularly since La Liga returned after the international break.
The Blaugrana have managed to score in both halves on four occasions already this term, only failing to achieve this in last month's stalemate at the Estadio de Vallecas. They've also managed to score before and after the interval in five of their last seven outings across all competitions, so don't be surprised if Barça repeat this feat against Oviedo.
Tip: Barcelona to score in both halves: 8/11 (bet365)
Explanation: This bet will land if Barcelona score at least one goal in both the first half and second half.
Joan García to make two or more saves
There's been a marked improvement in Barcelona's goalkeeping department following the arrival of Joan García in the summer, as the 24-year-old continues to deputise for the injured Marc-André ter Stegen. García averaged more than four saves per match while representing Espanyol last season, and has continued his impressive form since switching to the reigning champions.
The Catalan 'keeper stopped two goal-bound efforts during Sunday's 3-0 victory over Getafe after making at least three saves in three of his opening five appearances for Barça, having been virtually a spectator against Real Mallorca and Valencia. Although we've not seen too much of them as an attacking force, Oviedo have managed to register at least three shots on target in the vast majority of their first five league fixtures, most notably including the 3-0 defeat to Real Madrid on home soil. Therefore, García may be called into action on several occasions on Thursday evening.....
Tip: Joan García to make two or more saves: 8/11 (bet365)
Explanation: This bet will land if Joan García saves two or more shots during the match.
Three or more total goals
Although their fluid attacking style serves to create plenty of scoring opportunities, Barcelona's high defensive line also leaves them vulnerable to conceding goals. Therefore, they're often involved in high-scoring affairs. There have been three or more goals in five of Barça's opening six contests this season, a statistic which is also true of 14 of their last 17 matches across all competitions.
Only one of Oviedo's five fixtures so far has witnessed more than two goals, but this was August's home clash with Real Madrid, a team with a similar scoring pedigree to this week's visitors to the Estadio Carlos Tartiere.
Odds: Over 2.5 Goals: 4/9 (bet365)
Explanation: This bet will land if there are three or more goals scored during the match, regardless of the final result.
Real Oviedo vs Barcelona betting odds
Odds, correct at time of publication, are subject to change.
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Odds, correct at time of publication, are subject to change.