Real Oviedo — Real Sociedad : Match Preview and Prediction for August 30,2025

Oviedo’s Long-Awaited Return to La Liga

After a 24-year hiatus, Real Oviedo, Victor Onopko’s former club, has finally returned to La Liga. Their promotion was secured through intense playoffs, largely thanks to the seasoned efforts of Santi Cazorla, who spearheaded their triumphant return to Spain’s top football flight. Their re-entry into the top division, however, has not been smooth sailing so far.

Early Season Struggles and Key Absences

The opening fixture against Villarreal could have taken a different turn had former Zenit player Rondón converted a crucial penalty. His miss, combined with Reina’s subsequent red card, left the team shorthanded, leading to an inevitable 0-2 defeat. Facing Madrid at home, even without the full complement of stars like Mbappé, Veljko Paunović’s side was clearly outmatched, making the eventual 0-3 scoreline unsurprising. Oviedo’s overall performance in La Liga appears unpolished at this early stage, but the upcoming match against Real Sociedad will be a critical test for the Asturians. For this encounter, they will be without Lemos and Aihado due to injuries, although central midfielder Reina, who received a red card in the opening round, is set to return.

New Era and Early Season Draws for Real Sociedad

A new era has dawned for Real Sociedad, as Imanol Alguacil departed after a challenging season, making way for Sergio Francisco. The new coach, inheriting a strong and talented squad, has overseen a start to the season with two consecutive draws. First, the ‘White and Blues’ drew 1-1 at Mestalla against Valencia, with both sides exchanging quick goals in the second half. Following this, the Basque side had to fight back from a 0-2 deficit at home against Espanyol, with Barrenetxea and Oscarsson securing a crucial draw after the break.

Squad Stability and Season Expectations

While the team’s core remains largely intact (with the notable exception of Zubimendi’s 70 million euro move to Arsenal), expectations are high for Real Sociedad to finish in the top half of the table this season, especially as they will not be burdened by European competition, unlike many of their rivals for high positions. Against Oviedo, the Basque side will only be missing Rupérez, while Zakharyan has returned to action after his recent issues.