Tag: Real Oviedo

Barcelona reclaimed top spot in La Liga with a 3-0 win over Real Oviedo on Sunday, thanks to goals from Dani Olmo, Raphinha and an acrobatic Lamine Yamal effort.

After Real Madrid beat Villarreal on Saturday to take pole position overnight, the Catalans edged a point ahead again.

Although Oviedo are bottom of the table with just two victories all season, Barca had to scrap for their victory as the visitors worked hard defensively to keep Hansi Flick’s team at bay until the second half.

Eventually, the hosts’ quality shone at the partially reopened Camp Nou, and after Olmo opened the scoring, Barcelona never looked back.

The pick of the goals was Yamal’s strike, an impressive volley from Olmo’s cross to secure Barca’s triumph.

“I know we didn’t play on our highest level in the first half… but the team has done a fantastic job in the last few weeks, months,” Flick told DAZN.

The coach praised Yamal for his hard work in terms of pressing and also hailed his fine strike.

“It was great… I’m happy that he scored such a (good) goal, and the third goal for us was really important,” added Flick.

Barcelona struggled to make inroads in a dry first half, and their passing was unusually imprecise.

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Injured midfield maestro Pedri Gonzalez watched on from the stands with an unimpressed expression.

Real Oviedo sought to attack on the counter, and Haissem Hassan drew a save from Joan Garcia from a long distance.

At the other end, Aaron Escandell made a fine stop at his near post to thwart Raphinha before half-time.

Barca came out with renewed energy for the second half and soon took the lead.

After Yamal and Raphinha pressed in the box, the ball broke loose to Olmo, who steered home.

Oviedo gave away a poor second goal after 57 minutes, with Raphinha running on to an undercooked back-pass from David Costas and lofting the ball over Escandell.

Barcelona’s third was expertly taken by Yamal, as Olmo’s cross was falling behind him, he produced an eye-catching sideways scissor-kick to wrap up the victory.

A huge downpour hit the stadium, sending fans scurrying as there is no roof yet, and those who remained saw Escandell deny Robert Lewandowski a potential fourth with a fine save.

“I think we were not at our best in the first half, (but) in the second we could score the goals, and that is the most important thing,” said Raphinha.

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Headers from Robert Lewandowski and Ronald Araujo helped Barcelona make a 3-1 comeback victory at minnows Real Oviedo on Thursday in La Liga.

The Catalans, who fell behind after a mistake from goalkeeper Joan Garcia allowed Alberto Reina to score the opener from 40 yards out, levelled through Eric Garcia early in the second half.

Substitute Lewandowski nodded Hansi Flick’s side in front, and Araujo made the game safe late on as he headed home Marcus Rashford’s corner.

Barcelona, second in the table, trail leaders Real Madrid by two points after Xabi Alonso’s side maintained their 100 percent start with a win at Levante on Tuesday.

Despite missing star winger Lamine Yamal, Barca recorded their fourth consecutive victory across all competitions without the teenager.

“In the second half, I said to my team, we have to continue, we have to play with calmness, to be convinced about playing with the ball, and we did it well,” said Flick.

Oviedo, back in Spain’s top flight for the first time since the 2000/01 campaign, lined up with 40-year-old great Santi Cazorla in midfield, making his first start of the season.

They could not contain Kylian Mbappe as Real Madrid visited the Carlos Tartiere stadium in August, but they mostly did a better job against the champions in front of a fine atmosphere.

Rashford started on the left wing after he was benched last weekend for turning up late for a team meeting, and came closest for Barcelona in the first half.

The on-loan Manchester United forward’s vicious effort was tipped away by Oviedo goalkeeper Aaron Escandell, who excelled despite the goals he conceded.

The Spanish stopper tipped away another Rashford effort from range and then thwarted the England international again from the rebound after Raphinha struck the post.

Barcelona were unsurprisingly dominant but Oviedo took the lead in the 33rd minute after a howler from visiting goalkeeper Joan Garcia.

Charging out of his box, he intercepted the ball but then passed straight to Reina, who fired into the empty net from long distance.

“I saw the goalkeeper’s mistake and I went first time, and in the moment I kicked it, I saw it was good,” Oviedo midfielder Reina told DAZN. “My first in the top flight, I’ll never forget it.”

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Flick said he would not be blaming his goalkeeper too harshly.

“It’s the style that we want him to play in, and it can happen,” explained Barca’s coach. “He’s a fantastic goalkeeper… one mistake and they use it, but it’s football.”

Hansi Flick sent on Frenkie de Jong at half-time and the Dutchman helped his side click into a higher gear.

Barcelona levelled through Eric Garcia, netting from close range after Escandell saved Ferran Torres’ effort from Ronald Araujo’s cross.

Escandell continued to frustrate the visitors, saving from Raphinha and Torres, but he could not keep out Lewandowski’s header to send Barca in front.

Five minutes after being brought on the Polish veteran produced an excellent header from De Jong’s cross which cracked against the underside of the crossbar on its way in.

Jules Kounde made a vital interception at the back to help keep Barca ahead before Araujo sealed the three points in the 88th minute when he nodded Rashford’s corner beyond Escandell.

“The changes were at the right time, with Frenkie and also with Lewy,” said Flick.

Lewandowski has largely been used as a substitute this season after starting the campaign with an injury.

“I’m patient, I’m not in a hurry, the season is long and we have a lot of games,” said the 37-year-old striker.

Oviedo’s goalscorer was content, despite the defeat.

“All footballers dream of nights like this, to play against these players and with these fans,” added Reina.

“It was a nice night, which didn’t end well but we enjoyed it as much as we could.”

Barcelona host Real Sociedad on Sunday at the Olympic stadium, after Real Madrid visit rivals Atletico Madrid on Saturday in a derby clash.

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Kylian Mbappe was again on target for Real Madrid as they overcame Real Oviedo 3-0 in La Liga on Sunday.

For Oviedo, returning to Spain’s top flight after an absence of almost a quarter of a century, the arrival of the 15-time European champions was a gala occasion, and the Asturian fans made their presence heard.

Star turns Mbappe and Vinicius Junior made the difference in the north of Spain. The Frenchman notched a brace before the Brazilian slid in a late third.

Coach Xabi Alonso made a couple of notable changes to his starting line-up from Madrid’s opening 1-0 win against Osasuna, dropping Vinicius and Trent Alexander-Arnold for Rodrygo Goes and club captain Dani Carvajal, returning from injury.

The dropped Vinicius responded by producing an assist and a goal in his half-hour cameo.

“It was a very serious, very complete game,” said Alonso. “With and without the ball. Playing as a team.

“And Vini came on and had a role in those two goals that gave us peace of mind. There will be games for everyone. Decisions are made with the team in mind, and that’s how it was today.”

Argentinian teenage sensation Franco Mastantuono made his full debut in another change for Real Madrid.

The 18-year-old showed his explosive dribbling ability early on when he burst past two defenders into the Oviedo box before going down and looking appealingly at the uninterested referee.

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A rare foray forward by the hosts saw Leander Dendoncker try to catch Thibaut Courtois out with a chipped effort in the 23rd minute, but the Belgian shotstopper easily gathered the ball.

Real Madrid came close to forcing a breakthrough when Arda Guler’s drive from inside the box was excellently saved by goalkeeper Aaron Escandell.

The Turkish international turned provider as he drilled a pass into Mbappe’s feet on 37 minutes, which the Frenchman welcomed on the turn before firing across Escandell.

The goal was met by furious protests from the home side. Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni seemed to follow through strongly on Dendoncker when winning possession back for his side in the build-up.

Rodrygo and the lively Mastantuono made way for Vinicius and Brahim Diaz just after the hour.

Diaz immediately created a chance for the galloping Fede Valverde, but Escandell produced a fingertip save.

Kwasi Sibo came within inches of sending the home support wild when, out of nowhere, he struck the post for Oviedo with Courtois rooted to the spot on 81 minutes.

That chance woke Real Madrid up. Vinicius won the ball two minutes later and drove forward before slipping a disguised pass to Mbappe, who slotted home first time.

The Brazilian scored in the 93rd minute, when Diaz found him in space and he slid home a composed finish.

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