Real Madrid vs Real Oviedo: Team News, Head-to-Head and Match Preview as Los Blancos Seek Bounce-Back Win

Real Madrid return to Santiago Bernabeu action on Thursday evening under considerable pressure, welcoming a Real Oviedo side that has already been condemned to relegation from La Liga. The fixture offers Los Blancos an opportunity to rediscover some form following a turbulent week that saw Barcelona hand them a 2-0 defeat in El Clásico.

The Clasico loss compounded what has been a deeply disappointing campaign for the Madrid club. Barcelona’s title confirmation ensured Real Madrid will endure a second consecutive trophyless season — a damaging run of results that has drawn sharp criticism. Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has publicly accused referees of assisting Barcelona in clinching the La Liga title. In terms of recent league form, Real Madrid have managed only two wins from their last five games, a return that underlines the inconsistency that has defined their 2025-26 campaign.

Real Oviedo, meanwhile, became the first club officially relegated to the second division this season. With just 29 points from 35 matches, the Asturian side sit ten points below 17th-placed Girona and have no realistic path to survival. Their most recent outing — a 0-0 draw against Getafe — ended with the club reduced to nine men, yet they showed resilience to hold on for a point. That result may offer some morale ahead of a daunting trip to the capital, but the historical record between these two clubs offers little encouragement for the visitors.

Real Madrid have not lost to Real Oviedo since 1998. The two sides’ most recent meeting ended in a 3-0 victory for the hosts, and the last time Oviedo made a league visit to the Bernabeu — back in 2001 — they were beaten 4-0, with Luis Figo and Steve McManaman among the scorers that evening. With the bulk of previous encounters concentrated around the early 2000s, this is a fixture defined historically by a significant gulf in quality.

On the team news front, Real Madrid face a lengthy injury list heading into Thursday’s match. Kylian Mbappe has returned to training following a hamstring problem, though his availability for this fixture remains uncertain. Rodrygo is a long-term absentee with a cruciate ligament injury, while Dean Huijsen is listed as a doubt due to physical discomfort. Dani Ceballos (thigh), Ferland Mendy (ligament), and Dani Carvajal (leg) are all sidelined. Federico Valverde is out with a head injury sustained in an incident involving teammate Aurelien Tchouameni, and both Eder Militao and Arda Guler are also unavailable with thigh injuries.

Real Oviedo face their own selection concerns ahead of the trip to Madrid. Javi Lopez and Kwasi Sibo serve suspensions following their red cards against Getafe, while Leander Dendoncker is doubtful with a muscle injury and Jaime Vazquez is ruled out with a groin problem. Eric Bailly is also unavailable after sustaining a broken nose within the first 12 minutes of the Getafe fixture, adding further strain to the defensive resources available to manager Almada.

Expected lineups see Real Madrid set up with Courtois in goal behind a back four of Alexander-Arnold, Asencio, Rudiger, and F. Garcia. The midfield is anticipated to feature Diaz, Camavinga, Tchouameni, and Bellingham, with G. Garcia and Vinicius leading the attack. Oviedo are expected to line up with Escandell; Alhassane, Calvo, Costas, Vidal; Fernandez, Reina, Cazorla, Hassan; Vinas, and Chaira.

Despite their inconsistency this season, Real Madrid carry a decisive quality advantage over an Oviedo side lacking firepower and missing several key personnel. Goalkeeper Aaron Escandell has performed strongly throughout the campaign and could keep the scoreline respectable for a time. Nevertheless, the combination of Real Madrid’s home record against this opponent and their motivation to respond following the Clasico defeat makes a comfortable home win the most likely outcome. The predicted correct score is Real Madrid 3-0 Real Oviedo.