Real Oviedo will welcome Eibar to Estadio Carlos Tartiere on Saturday evening for the first leg of their Segunda Division playoff semi-final.
Eibar ended the regular season in third spot, missing out an automatic promotion by just a single point, while Real Oviedo finished in sixth, edging out seventh-placed Racing Santander on goal difference.
Match preview
Real Oviedo have not operated in La Liga since the 2000-01 campaign, and they have spent four seasons in the fourth tier during their time away from Spain's top flight.
The Blues sneaked into this season's Segunda Division playoffs, though, just edging out seventh-placed Racing Santander on goal difference, with the two teams level on the head-to-head record.
Luis Carrion's side actually lost 4-3 to Eibar on the final matchday of the regular season, which was their second defeat in their last three games of the campaign, but they are in the semi-finals of the playoffs and will be looking for a positive first-leg result on Saturday night.
Real Oviedo were strong at home during the regular campaign, picking up 43 points from their 21 matches, only suffering two defeats in the process, whereas Eibar lost 10 times on their travels.
The Blues also beat Eibar 2-1 at Estadio Carlos Tartiere last November, and they will be aware of the importance of claiming a positive result ahead of the second leg at Ipurua Municipal Stadium on June 12.
Eibar finished 20th in the 2020-21 La Liga campaign, and the team have missed out on promotion in the last two seasons despite making the playoffs.
Indeed, in 2021-22, they lost to Girona in the semi-finals of the playoffs, before being beaten by Alaves at the same stage in 2022-23.
Joseba Etxeberria's side picked up 71 points from their 42 league matches this season, which left them in third spot in the table, one point behind second-placed Real Valladolid and just three off the champions Leganes.
Los Armeros actually have the fourth-best away record in the Segunda Division this term, but as mentioned, they have suffered 10 losses on their travels.
Eibar's form at home has been strong, though, picking up 46 points from 21 matches, and they will be the huge favourites to progress to the final against either Sporting Gijon or Espanyol with a positive first-leg result.
Team News
Real Oviedo will again be without the services of Mario Hernandez and Rodrigo Tarin for this contest, while David Costas and Santi Cazorla are huge doubts.
Borja Baston's brace against Eibar last time out could see the striker come in for a start on Saturday, while Jonathan Dubasin is also pushing to be introduced into the XI.
Paulinho de la Fuente has come up with nine goals from the number 10 position this season, and the 26-year-old is a certain starter for the home side in this contest.
As for Eibar, Anaitz Arbilla and Stefan Simic are both available for selection after missing the clash with Real Oviedo last time out through suspension.
The visitors will be without the services of two players through injury, though, with both Jon Bautista and Alvaro Tejero currently in the treatment room.
Bautista is the team's leading goalscorer this season with 17, so his absence will be felt, but Ager Aketxe and Stoichkov have 26 goals between them this term, and the pair will be in the XI for the visitors.
Real Oviedo possible starting lineup:
Roman; Rozada, Luengo, Calvo, Pomares; Seoane, Colombatto; Dubasin, De la Fuente, B Sanchez; Baston
Eibar possible starting lineup:
Zidane; Corpas, Arbilla, Berrocal, Gutierrez; Nolaskoain, Pereira; Aketxe, Soriano, Stoichkov; Leon
We say: Real Oviedo 1-1 Eibar
This is shaping up to be a fascinating contest, especially as the two sides played out a seven-goal thriller on Sunday. This game should be a lot tighter, with a low-scoring draw potentially on the cards, which would leave the tie delicately poised ahead of the second leg of the semi-final.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Matt Law
