La Liga: Yamal stars as Barcelona reclaim top spot with Oviedo win

Barcelona returned to the summit of La Liga after a second-half surge secured a comfortable home victory over relegation-threatened Real Oviedo at the Spotify Camp Nou.

The Catalans, who had been overtaken by Real Madrid a day earlier, responded with an improved performance after the break to get their title push back on track.

Frustration before the break

Barcelona dominated possession in the first half but struggled to turn control into clear chances.

Real Oviedo sat deep and were well organised, limiting the hosts to few meaningful openings.

Raphinha went closest in stoppage time, but his effort was beaten away by Oviedo goalkeeper Aaron Escandell, who was well protected by his defence.

It was a subdued opening 45 minutes from Hansi Flick’s side, lacking tempo and incision in the final third.

Olmo sparks second-half revival

The game changed quickly after the restart. Just six minutes into the second half, Dani Olmo capitalised on a defensive error from David Carmo, calmly finishing to give Barcelona the lead.

Moments later, another mistake at the back proved costly for Oviedo. This time David Costas was dispossessed, allowing Raphinha to race through on goal and delicately chip Escandell to double Barcelona’s advantage.

With Oviedo stretched, Barcelona played with far more confidence and control as the match wore on.

Yamal seals the points

The decisive third goal arrived in the 74th minute. Olmo drove forward from midfield before delivering a dangerous cross into the box, where teenage winger Lamine Yamal produced an acrobatic finish to put the result beyond doubt.

Robert Lewandowski had a chance to add a fourth late on after being played through by Roony Bardghji, but his effort was saved by Escandell.

Despite a slow start, Barcelona will be satisfied with the response and the result, which lifts them back to the top of La Liga as the title race continues to intensify.