The loss to Barcelona confirmed that Real Madrid will end the season without a single trophy. Los Blancos will have to settle for second place, but even that is not yet guaranteed, as they need a win against the already-relegated Real Oviedo.
Real Madrid showed nothing in Sunday’s El Clasico, finishing the match with just one shot on target against Barcelona. Hardly anyone doubts they won’t finish second, but mathematically, they need at least one more point.
The problems on the field are evident, and the large number of injuries is taking its toll, but Real’s biggest issues are definitely in the locker room and with the management.
Real Oviedo, meanwhile, confirmed their relegation after a scoreless draw with Getafe and now have nothing to play for except their pride. They are hardly looking forward to this match against Real Madrid, given that they haven’t beaten them since 1998.
How the bookies view it: Not on the same level
As expected, Real Madrid have a massive advantage in the odds ahead of this match, and given their strong home form, it’s hard to expect anything other than a win.
Currently, you can back them at 1/4, while Real Oviedo are available at a hefty 9/1. If you believe they have a chance of at least a draw, you can take that at 11/2.
Recent head-to-head: A one-sided 3-0 victory for Los Blancos
As we mentioned earlier, Oviedo’s last win over Real Madrid dates back to 1998, back when Los Godos were still a regular in La Liga.
The teams hadn’t played an official match since 2002 before Oviedo returned to the top flight last year. Unsurprisingly, Real Madrid won the first meeting of the season 3-0.
Players to watch: Vinicius Jr. has to step up
Kylian Mbappe, Federico Valverde, Rodrygo, and Arda Guler are still injured and will not take part in this match, so we’ll once again have to rely on Vinicius Jr. to bring us success with goals.
His performance against Barcelona was terrible, but the 25-year-old Brazilian is in relatively good form overall. Before El Clasico, he scored four goals in three matches. In the reverse fixture against Real Oviedo, he scored a goal and assisted on another.
Backed a player to find the net? Check our Goalscorer Betting guide to see how the markets work and where to find value.
Probable line-ups
Real Madrid: Courtois, Alexander-Arnold, Asensio, Rudiger, Garcia, Diaz, Camavinga, Tchouameni, Pitarch, Vinicius Jr., Garcia
Real Oviedo: Escandell, Alhassane, Costas, Calvo, Vidal, Colombatto, Fonseca, Chaira, Reina, Fernandez, Vinas
Anything else catch the eye?
Despite all their problems, Los Blancos shouldn’t have any trouble beating Real Oviedo. Even with all their missing players, the two teams are in completely different leagues.
Los Godos will finish the season with the fewest goals scored, which is exactly why we believe they will once again fail to score against Real. In their first H2H of the season, they didn’t create a single clear chance in 90 minutes, and that was when they were the home team.
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