Three talking points from Real Oviedo 1-3 Barcelona

For the primary time in 24 years, Barcelona returned to the Estadio Carlos Tartiere to fulfil a fixture in opposition to La Liga new boys, Actual Oviedo.

The hosts hadn’t had a very good begin to their 2025/26 marketing campaign, shedding 4 of their 5 matches earlier than going through the Catalans and had solely scored one aim.

With Barcelona realizing {that a} win would put them again inside two factors of leaders Actual Madrid forward of the weekend’s fixtures, the motivation was already there for one more attacking efficiency from Hansi Flick’s facet.

Nonetheless, Oviedo had received three of the final 4 conferences between the edges, so complacency wasn’t an choice for the Blaugranes.

Let’s check out three issues which affected the end result of the match…

Joan Garcia mistake sums up sloppy first half

There can not often have been a first-half when, collectively, Barcelona couldn’t string a handful of correct passes collectively.

Oviedo deserve the plaudits for shutting down their counterparts rapidly and making them rush, however Barca are higher than that. A lot better.

On various events when colleagues had been nicely positioned, the guests weren’t even capable of finding their goal with both a brief go or a harder cross-field ball.

Placing their foot on the ball additionally appeared past them and their lack of management was astonishing to observe at instances.

The actual low level was Joan Garcia’s mistake for the opening aim. He got here flying out of his field, took two first rate touches, however then handed it straight to the opposition. And the remainder, as they are saying, is historical past…

Clearly, Barca aren’t at all times going to get issues their very own manner however they have to study to compete in opposition to these groups prepared to run by brick partitions for one another.

Dani Olmo misses one other alternative to impress

What number of extra alternatives is Dani Olmo going to be given and what number of extra is he not going to take?

With Fermin out injured and Frenkie de Jong benched, this was the proper probability for the Spaniard to impress from the beginning in that midfield function he performs with aplomb for the nationwide group.

His passes had been off, although in equity so had been lots of these tried by his colleagues, and his motion was nearly non-existent at instances.

Distinction his manner with that of Fermin’s in the course of the video games by which be performed earlier than the harm. Chalk and cheese.

The place one is continually on the transfer, driving ahead and unleashing venomous pictures, in addition to getting caught in at each alternative, the opposite is statuesque and disinterested by comparability.

A shot that flew simply over however, there was little of observe Olmo did proper within the opening 45, and so it was to his profit that Marc Casado had an equally poor first half and was hooked at half-time for de Jong.

Eric to remain at right-back?

One of many few success tales on the night time was Eric Garcia’s efficiency at right-back.

A participant that’s now starting to point out his true colors after being given a run within the facet, he gave stability to the defence and was a superb supplementary presence in assault as his aim 10 minutes after the break to begin the comeback confirmed.

Might or not it’s that Barca could be higher off transferring Jules Kounde again to central defence as an alternative of Ronald Araujo, leaving Eric to cement the right-back place of his personal?