Real Madrid continued their strong start to the La Liga season with a convincing 3-0 victory over newly-promoted Real Oviedo. The match, played in front of a passionate Asturian crowd celebrating their club’s return to the top flight after a 24-year absence, was ultimately decided by the individual brilliance of Real Madrid’s star forwards, Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior. Mbappe netted a brace, while Vinicius, introduced as a second-half substitute, added a late goal and provided an assist, underscoring his impact even when not starting. The win demonstrated Real Madrid’s depth and attacking prowess, solidifying their position as early title contenders.
Manager Xabi Alonso opted to rotate his squad, making a few notable changes from their opening day victory. Vinicius and Trent Alexander-Arnold were rested, with Rodrygo Goes and captain Dani Carvajal, returning from injury, taking their places. Young Argentine prodigy Franco Mastantuono was handed his full debut, showcasing glimpses of his exciting dribbling skills. Although Real Madrid dominated possession and created chances throughout the match, Oviedo’s resilience and organized defense kept the scoreline respectable for a period. The home side occasionally threatened on the counter-attack, testing Thibaut Courtois with a chipped effort from Leander Dendoncker and hitting the post late in the game through Kwasi Sibo.
The breakthrough for Real Madrid came in the 37th minute when Arda Guler, impressive in his creative role, found Mbappe with a precise pass inside the box. The French forward expertly turned and fired a low shot past Oviedo goalkeeper Aaron Escandell, igniting celebrations amongst the travelling Madrid supporters. The goal was met with protests from the Oviedo players, who felt a foul had been committed in the build-up. Nevertheless, the goal stood, giving Real Madrid a deserved lead heading into halftime.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with Real Madrid controlling the tempo and creating chances. Escandell proved a formidable obstacle for the Los Blancos attack, making several crucial saves to keep Oviedo in the game. The introduction of Vinicius and Brahim Diaz in the second half injected further dynamism into the Real Madrid attack. Diaz immediately created a golden opportunity for Fede Valverde, but Escandell again denied the Uruguayan midfielder with a superb save. Despite Oviedo’s resilient defending and occasional forays forward, Real Madrid’s quality eventually told.
With Oviedo pushing for an equalizer late in the game, they left themselves vulnerable to Real Madrid’s counter-attacking prowess. In the 83rd minute, Vinicius dispossessed an Oviedo player and drove towards the box before sliding a perfectly weighted through ball to Mbappe, who calmly slotted home his second of the match, effectively sealing the victory for the visitors. Vinicius then capped off a brilliant cameo appearance with a goal of his own in stoppage time, finishing off a slick move involving Diaz to make it 3-0. The comfortable victory sent a strong message to the rest of La Liga about Real Madrid’s intentions for the season.
Elsewhere in La Liga, there were other significant results that shaped the early standings. Villarreal delivered a dominant performance against Girona, thrashing the Catalan side 5-0 in a match that highlighted the attacking potential of the Yellow Submarine. New signing Tajon Buchanan enjoyed a dream debut, scoring a hat-trick to open his La Liga account in style. The result was a stark contrast to Girona’s impressive showing last season and leaves them at the bottom of the table after two matches. Real Sociedad staged a dramatic comeback against Espanyol, recovering from a 2-0 halftime deficit to earn a 2-2 draw. The Basque side showed resilience and character to salvage a point, while Espanyol will rue their inability to hold onto their lead. In another match, Osasuna secured a 1-0 victory over 10-man Valencia, with Ante Budimir’s early goal proving decisive. These early results underline the competitive nature of La Liga and suggest an exciting season ahead.
