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It may only be five matches into the season, but Barcelona are up against it, facing Real Oviedo in La Liga play on Thursday. With Real Madrid starting off the season a perfect six for six, Barcelona have dropped five points behind their rivals. While they can close the gap to two by the end of the matchweek, it already shows how tight the LaLiga race will be this season, as any missteps could cost a league title. 

Needing to spend time without Lamine Yamal, who was out with a groin injury that he picked up on international duty with Spain, Barcelona were able to defeat Valencia and Getafe while scoring nine goals and allowing zero, and he's now back in training with the club ahead of an important week. 

How to watch Real Oviedo vs. Barcelona, odds

  • Date: Thursday, Sep. 25 | Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
  • Location: Estadio Municipal Carlos Tartiere -- Oviedo, Spain
  • Live stream: ESPN+
  • Odds: Oviedo +900; Draw +600; Barcelona =450

But with Yamal coming back, Barcelona have also been met by bad news in the form of midfielder Gavi now being out for around five months. After appearing in Barcelona's first two matches of the season, Gavi suffered a knee injury that, upon further examination, required surgery to repair the damage. With it happening on the same knee that Gavi had an ACL tear on in 2023, it's one that Barcelona will need to take slowly, but it brings quite a hit to Hansi Flick's midfield depth.

In Pedri and Frenkie De Jong, Barcelona have a solid double pivot for starting matches, but there's really only Marc Casado behind them. Flick has been able to push defenders forward and use Dani Olmo in deeper positions, but this is an area where Barcelona's depth will be tested. After facing Oviedo, the matches will keep coming with Real Sociedad and Paris Saint-Germain on the horizon. 

That Champions League clash will especially be a critical one as PSG's press can keep up with Barcelona's attacking power. Midweek play will be a good chance for Flick to prepare for what is to come while also getting a chance to ease Yamal back into things. 

Getting strong performances out of Marcus Rashford will help Barcelona's ambitions, but to better last season's, where they regained the LaLiga crown, Flick's Barcelona need to prove that they can defend against the best teams in the world. Real Madrid will no longer defeat themselves, so if Barcelona get more than six points behind, their title defense could be over before it gets going. It brings added pressure to every match, but to get to the next level, Barcelona will need to feed off of that.