The Asturian side return to Catalonia 25 years after pulling off one of the most memorable victories in club history.
Real Oviedo are set to travel to Catalonia, where they will take on LALIGA EA SPORTS leaders FC Barcelona on Sunday. The visitors will play their first game at the Spotify Camp Nou in over two decades, as Barça’s last home clash against the Asturian side dates back to 2000/01. That was the last time Real Oviedo participated in the top flight, where they returned in August after clinching promotion through the LALIGA HYPERMOTION playoffs last season. Click this link https://a.meridianbet.ke/c/C7pYjz to start gaming and stand a chance of winning big with Meridianbet.
Currently sitting bottom of the table, Real Oviedo will look to grab their first league victory in 14 games by pulling an upset against FC Barcelona. In fact, their last victory also came on the road, with Luka Ilić and Salomón Rondón scoring one each late in the game to complete a comeback and snatch all three points away at Valencia CF on Matchday 7.
As for Los Azulgranas, Hansi Flick’s side will look to get back to winning ways in the league following a 2-1 loss away at Real Sociedad on Sunday night. FC Barcelona dominated possession but failed to take their chances against a clinical Txuri-Urdin, who opened the scoring through Mikel Oyarzabal just after the half-an-hour mark and netted a timely winner through Gonçalo Guedes seconds after Marcus Rashford equalised in the 70th minute. Sunday’s defeat dealt a blow to FC Barcelona morale, as the Catalan side saw their 11-game winning run across all competitions come to an end.
Real Oviedo aim to make history again
The two teams faced each other in late September, when FC Barcelona visited Asturias for a Matchday 6 clash at the Estadio Carlos Tartiere. The visitors had most of the ball throughout the game, but it was Real Oviedo who broke the deadlock though Alberto Reina before the break. Flick’s side bounced back in the second half, with Eric García, Robert Lewandowski and Ronald Araújo scoring one each to turn the game around and win 3-1.
That Real Oviedo side was led by Veljko Paunović, the coach who inspired last season’s promotion to the top flight. Paunović may have parted ways with the club after a below-par start to the season, but his name is already woven into their history, and not for that reason alone.
Not only did Serbian coach ply his trade at Real Oviedo in their previous season in the first division, but he was also the player to set up Jaime de Urríes for a historic goal that gave the Asturian side a 1-0 victory in their last game at the Spotify Camp Nou.
“Twenty-four years ago, we played at the Spotify Camp Nou and won 1-0 with a goal from Jaime,” former Real Oviedo defender Viktor Onopko told COPE back in September. “I have fond memories of that match. The stadium was packed, and we had a good team. [The then coach] Radomir Antić paid the bonus for winning out of his own pocket when we returned to Oviedo.”
Scored on May 27, 2001, that was also Real Oviedo’s last goal in the top flight before their return this season. Twenty-five years later, Guillermo Almada’s side will look to emulate that performance in their bid to stun FC Barcelona on the road.
Meanwhile, Barça aim for a bounce-back victory that could potentially see them extend their lead from second-placed Real Madrid, who are facing a dangerous Villarreal CF on the road just one day earlier. Los Blancos beat Levante UD 2-0 at the Bernabéu on Matchday 20, making Sunday’s duel against Real Oviedo a must-win affair for Los Azulgranas.
