Who: Oviedo vs Real Madrid
What: Spanish La Liga
Where: Estadio Carlos Tartiere in Oviedo, Spain
When: Sunday, August 24, at 9:30pm (19:30 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the updates on Al Jazeera Sport from 6:30pm (16:30 GMT) in advance of our live text commentary stream.
The La Liga season reaches its second round of fixtures with a potentially early-season giant-killing in the offing.
Newly promoted Oviedo will not be expected to take much from the record Spanish league winners, Real Madrid.
Los Blancos limped over the line last weekend in their first match of the new season, Xabi Alonso’s first in charge.
Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at what could be an even bigger banana skin on Sunday.
How are Real Madrid shaping up?
Alonso took charge of Madrid before the FIFA Club World Cup, in which his new charges reached the semifinals before suffering a humiliating defeat at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain.
After a short close-season break, Real returned to training before edging Osasuna 1-0 on Tuesday thanks to a Kylian Mbappe penalty.
“After a two-week preseason, against a team who had longer, there were things missing, but the result gives us stability going forward,” said Alonso after that match.
What are Oviedo’s credentials?
Oviedo returned to Spain’s top flight after an absence of almost a quarter of a century by beating Mirandes in the second-tier playoff final in June.
The club from the northern region of Asturias, coached by Serbian former player Veljko Paunovic, were therefore left facing a quick turnaround before tackling life back in La Liga.
How did Oviedo fare in their first match back in La Liga?
With a 40-year-old Santi Cazorla coming off the bench and Venezuela veteran Salomon Rondon leading the attack, Oviedo lost 2-0 away at Villarreal in their first game back in the elite.
Now, they host the 15-time European champions in front of what will be a sellout 30,000 crowd at the Estadio Carlos Tartiere.
How are the new Los Blancos signings settling?
Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen, signed before the Club World Cup, made their La Liga bows for Madrid in that game, while left-back Alvaro Carreras made his debut after joining from Benfica.
Teenage Argentinian sensation Franco Mastantuono also came on for his first appearance.
Alonso will now hope for a more fluid display as his side continue what looks like a kind opening run of fixtures, building up to the derby away to Atletico in late September.
The Argentinian teenager is tipped for a huge future and made his La Liga debut on Tuesday off the bench for Madrid.
Mastantuono moved to the Bernabeu in June, signing from River Plate for just more than 63 million euros ($72m and penning a six-year deal.
The winger or attacking midfielder, who made his senior Argentina debut in early June, just before playing at the Club World Cup with River, will hope to make a big impact in La Liga this season.
“He has that Argentine grit and competitive spirit,” said Real coach Alonso this week, while also hailing the youngster’s ability to play the final pass.
With Rodrygo still being tipped to depart Real in the transfer window, that would leave Mastantuono and Brahim Diaz to contest a spot on the right wing.
What happened the last time Oviedo played Real Madrid?
This is the first meeting between the sides since Real won a Copa Del Rey meeting in November 2002.
Head-to-head
This is only the 18th meeting between the sides, with Real winning nine times and Oviedo on four occasions.
Oviedo team news
Alvaro Lemos misses out through injury, while Santiago Colombatto, Jaime Seoane and Lucas Ahijado face late fitness tests.
David Costas returns from suspension, but Alberto Reina was sent off in the defeat by Villarreal last time out, so he sits this game out.
Real Madrid team news
Ferland Mendy, Eduardo Camavinga, Jude Bellingham and Endrick are all absent for Los Blancos due to injury.
Many eyes will still be on Rodrygo with the Brazilian forward left on the bench against Osasuna while being heavily linked with a move away from Madrid.
Antonio Rudiger returns to the backline following suspension.
Real Oviedo predicted starting lineup
Escandell; Costas, Dendoncker, Calvo; Vidal, Ilic, Sibo, Alhassane; Chaira, Rondon, Hassan
Real Madrid possible starting lineup
Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Militao, Huijsen, Carreras; Valverde, Tchouameni, Guler; Brahim, Mbappe, Vinicius
The post Oviedo vs Real Madrid: La Liga – teams, start, lineups appeared first on Al Jazeera.
