Barcelona Faces Real Oviedo Amid Injury Challenges

BARCELONA, Spain — Barcelona is set to visit Real Oviedo at the Estadio Municipal Carlos Tartiere on Thursday as they seek their fourth consecutive win since the September international break.

Barcelona, under coach Hansi Flick, sits in second place in La Liga, trailing leaders Real Madrid. After a shaky start to the season, where they dropped five points, the Catalans are aiming to capitalize on any missteps by their rivals. Despite injuries affecting the team, including the absence of key players, they remain undefeated.

Real Oviedo, newly promoted to La Liga, has had a tough start, recording one win and four losses. The team has only managed to score one goal this season, and they will be looking to upset the reigning champions in front of their home crowd.

In the United States, fans can watch the match on ESPN Select, fuboTV, and the ESPN App. Spanish-speaking viewers can tune in to ESPN Deportes. In Canada, it will air live on TSN3 and stream on Amazon Prime Video and TSN+. Meanwhile, UK fans can catch the action on Premier Sports 1, while Sky Sports has the exclusive rights in Mexico.

Following the match against Real Oviedo, Barcelona’s schedule does not ease up. They will host Real Sociedad this Sunday before facing Sevilla next week at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán. The fixtures also include a high-stakes Champions League match against former manager Luis Enrique and Paris Saint-Germain on October 1.

Barcelona’s injury woes include midfielder Gavi, who recently underwent knee surgery and is expected to be out for five months. Additionally, Lamine Yamal is recovering from a groin injury but has returned to training. Flick might adjust the starting lineup in light of these injuries, potentially giving starts to Pau Cubarsi, Ronald Araujo, and Marcus Rashford.

With tight competition early in the season, Barcelona needs strong performances to contend against the best, especially as they prepare for a critical Champions League clash.