Barcelona avoided a shock away defeat to struggling Real Oviedo with a hard-fought 3-1 win on Friday midnight, as Santi Cazorla made his first La Liga start for the Asturian club at the age of 40.
On a night filled with emotion at a sold-out Carlos Tartiere stadium, Oviedo were given hope of a famous victory when Alberto Reina capitalised on a mistake from Barcelona goalkeeper Joan Garcia to score in the first half. For much of the opening 45 minutes, Barcelona looked out of sorts, despite dominating possession and creating chances. Aaron Escandell, Oviedo’s inspired goalkeeper, produced three acrobatic saves to deny Marcus Rashford and Ronald Araujo, while Raphinha struck the post from distance.
Then came the twist. Garcia rushed out of his penalty area to cut out a bouncing through ball from Cazorla, only to misplace his pass. Reina was alert, running on to the loose ball before sending a curling shot that looped over Eric Garcia and Gerard Martin, bouncing into the roof of the net. It was a goal that summed up Barcelona’s sluggishness and Oviedo’s opportunism.
For Cazorla, the moment carried special weight. The former Arsenal and Spain midfielder, who left Oviedo in 2003 without making a senior appearance due to financial troubles at the club, had finally achieved the milestone of starting in La Liga for his boyhood side. His return in 2023 helped Oviedo win the La Liga 2 promotion play-offs, ending a 22-year exile from the top flight. On this night, it seemed as though football’s scriptwriters were giving him centre stage.
The second half, however, brought Barcelona’s response. Eric Garcia pulled them level, reacting quickest after Escandell tipped Ferran Torres’ volley on to the post. Fourteen minutes later, Robert Lewandowski rose to meet Frenkie de Jong’s inswinging cross, his flicked header clipping the bar before nestling in the net. Barcelona had turned the match around, and their quality was beginning to show.
In the closing minutes, Araujo sealed the result with a powerful header from a Rashford corner, the English forward registering his third assist in as many league games. The comeback preserved Barcelona’s unbeaten start to the season and cut Real Madrid’s lead at the top of the table to just two points.
