Oviedo take on the visitors Espanyol in the round 9 match of Spanish LaLiga. The match will be played on Friday, October 17th at Estadio Nuevo Carlos Tartiere (Oviedo).
Oviedo returns here after a long absence. The “Carbayones,” who were once on the verge of bankruptcy, eventually climbed back to Segunda and settled there… or rather got stuck for quite a while. In 2024, this long-time mid-table side surprised everyone by sneaking into 6th place at the very last moment, and then reaching the play-off final. They lost that time, but the second attempt a year later proved much more successful and finally brought them the long-awaited ticket to La Liga. Naturally, such a newcomer is viewed as a clear underdog. And indeed, their performances have been poor, though not entirely hopeless — at least they managed to beat the struggling Real Sociedad at home and then snatch a 2–1 away victory against Valencia. However, it must be admitted that every other match this season under Veljko Paunović has ended in defeat. Their defense remains among the weakest in the league, conceding an average of two goals per game. Still, the fighting spirit and occasional flashes in attack suggest that Oviedo may yet adapt to the top tier over time.
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Espanyol rather quickly turned from a team contending for European spots into a “yo-yo” club that kept dropping back to Segunda. It was there that Manolo González took charge. He immediately guided his new side back to La Liga, albeit only through the play-offs. Once back, they managed to collect enough points to stay up comfortably. After the summer break, they started brightly — a comeback win over Atlético in the opening round and 10 points from their first four matches. But then came a series of setbacks: losing to Real Madrid was understandable, yet draws with Valencia and Girona, and especially a 1–2 home defeat to Betis, showed a dip in form. So, the international break might have come at just the right time to correct these growing problems. Espanyol’s attack remains dangerous, with several creative players capable of deciding matches on their own. However, their inconsistency on the road continues to raise questions about their ability to handle pressure away from Barcelona.
The sides last met two seasons ago in Segunda. Both exchanged home wins in the regular season and the play-off final — but in the decisive clash, the more experienced Catalans scored one goal more. The visitors look at least as good and should be able to get back to winning ways. Still, to be on the safe side, the bet is Espanyol with a (0) handicap.
Prediction for the match: Espanyol to win with 0.0 handicap.
