Real Oviedo hosts Real Sociedad at the Carlos Tartiere on Saturday evening as La Liga EA Sports resumes with Matchday 3, while Girona FC head to Montilivi to face Sevilla FC, two sides desperate for points after opening wins eluded them in the first two rounds.
Real Oviedo vs Real Sociedad
Oviedo’s return to the top flight has been anything but smooth. Under Veljko Paunović, they began with a tough test at Villarreal, where a Salomón Rondón spot-kick miss and Alberto Reina’s red card contributed to a defeat despite a promising start. The setback continued in the second round with a heavy loss at Real Madrid. To turn things around, the coach is set to welcome Reina back from suspension, potentially reinforcing a midfield that could also feature the recently arrived Leander Dendoncker. Haissem Hassan is expected to reclaim a starting berth on the wing, and Santiago Colombatto—who impressed in the second division last season—has been training with the squad and could see minutes again.
Real Sociedad, meanwhile, began with two defeats but recovered to collect a pair of draws: one at Mestalla and another at home against Espanyol. Coach Sergio Francisco is still imprinting his ideas and appears to have regained key attacking momentum with Orri Óskarsson, who scored to help secure the latest draw. In midfield, Jon Gorrotxategi and Óskarsson have been highlighted as players who could feature in the capital asturiano. One notable change is the absence of Urko González, who was transferred to Espanyol.
Historically, Oviedo beat Real Sociedad at home in La Liga in 2000, but the two clubs have met four times since then (one in the return leg of that season and three in the Copa del Rey), with Sociedad winning three and drawing once. Paunović’s challenge is to replicate the most recent visit of the txurudín to Oviedo in league play, where Sociedad emerged victorious.
Girona FC vs Sevilla FC
The other Saturday fixture at Montilivi pits Girona against Sevilla, two teams still seeking their first league points. Girona are the league’s most porous defense at the moment, having conceded eight goals, and Míchel Sánchez is trying to tighten the structures to become more competitive. The Catalan club have also suffered a blow with the sale of central defender Ladislav Krejčí to Wolverhampton. In terms of squad availability, Abel Ruiz, Donny van de Beek, Yangel Herrera, and Juan Carlos are sidelined by injury, while Viktor Tsygankov’s participation is in doubt after not training on Friday. The positive news for Girona is the return of Paulo Gazzaniga after a suspension.
Sevilla, coached by Matías Almeyda, also arrive with points to prove. They showed promise in their league opener at San Mamés but fell short, and their home defeat to Getafe last Monday has left them eager to register a first win of the campaign. Several players are unavailable for the visit to Montilivi: Adnan Januzaj, Akor Adams, Joan Jordán, Djibril Sow, Dodi Lukébakio, and Ramón Martínez join the injury list. On the positive side, Odysseas Vlachodimos, Alfon González, and Gabriel Suazo have been called up and could make their debuts this Saturday.
Sevilla has enjoyed relatively favorable recent results against Girona, but the balance shifted in the last visit to Montilivi, a 1-2 Sevilla defeat in the 2024/25 season. Girona still carries a proud record against the Andalusian side, having claimed six successive wins before that latest encounter. Almeyda will be aiming to reignite the run with a result in Catalonia, though the absence of their leading scorers—Saúl Ñíguez has left for Flamengo and Lukébakio is injured—presents a hurdle.
Saturday schedule in La Liga EA Sports:
– Alavés – Atlético de Madrid, 17:00
– Real Oviedo – Real Sociedad, 19:00
– Girona FC – Sevilla FC, 19:30
– Real Madrid – RCD Mallorca, 21:30
What to watch
– Midfield battles will be crucial as Oviedo try to stabilize with Reina back and Dendoncker potentially in the mix, while Real Sociedad look to maintain momentum without Urko González.
– Girona must shore up a leaky defense and cope without Krejčí, with Sevilla hoping new arrivals Vlachodimos, Alfon González, and Suazo help spark the attack.
– Both matches offer early-season tests for teams eager to climb the table and gain confidence from home performances or bounce-back showings on the road.
Summary
Two high-stakes fixtures on Saturday spotlight teams eager to rebound from rough starts. Real Oviedo and Real Sociedad each seek a first win of the campaign at the Tartiere, while Girona and Sevilla face off in a must-have-three-points clash at Montilivi. The weekend provides a clear opportunity for players returning from injury or suspension to influence their sides’ trajectories and for managers to fine-tune formations as early-season pressure intensifies. Positive momentum is within reach for those who can translate their preparation into results.