Real Oviedo - Atlético Madrid: Julián Álvarez salvates the rojiblancos with a 94th‑minute winner
The return fixture Real Oviedo - Atlético Madrid at the Carlos Tartiere ended in a 1-0 victory for Atlético de Madrid when Julián Álvarez struck in the 94th minute. The late goal, Atlético's only shot on target, handed the visitors three points and kept them on the LaLiga podium.
Real Oviedo - Atlético Madrid at Carlos Tartiere
The match was decided in stoppage time when Julián Álvarez converted a chance in the 94th minute to break a goalless deadlock. The goal came after an intense, often one-sided contest in which Real Oviedo created multiple threats but found Jan Oblak in outstanding form. The victory repositioned Atlético on the podium of the table.
Jan Oblak's four crucial saves and first-half interventions
Jan Oblak produced a sequence of crucial interventions that preserved the 0-0 scoreline until the dying moments. He repelled a one-on-one from Fede Viñas in the 23rd minute with a block using his body, and just before halftime he produced two further key stops: a palm to deny a header from Ilyas Chaira and a low parry to keep out a shot by Alberto Reina after a corner. In total, Oblak finished with four decisive saves in the match. His role was described as fundamental to carrying Atlético to the interval without conceding; without him the score at halftime would likely have been different.
Diego Simeone's seven changes and tactical substitutions
Diego Simeone made seven changes to his side following a 4-1 win over Club Brujas that had secured Atlético de Madrid's place in the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League. Only four players from the 4-1 line-up at Brujas repeated in the starting XI at Oviedo: Alexander Sorloth, Johnny Cardoso, Baena and Jan Oblak. The opening eleven at the Carlos Tartiere included Nahuel Molina at right back and the 21-year-old Julio Díaz, who debuted with the first team after promotion from the filial.
Ademola Lookman started and was substituted at halftime for Julián Álvarez; it was that substitution and subsequent work down the right that culminated in the 94th-minute winner. Around the hour mark Simeone introduced Giuliano Simeone, Koke Resurrección and Antoine Griezmann in an effort to increase ambition, possession and threat. The coach had rested a number of usual starters — Marcos Llorente, Marc Pubill, David Hancko and Matteo Ruggeri in defence, plus Giuliano Simeone, Koke and Griezmann — with several of them considered likely to return for a Copa del Rey semifinal second leg against Barcelona at the Camp Nou. What makes this notable is the balancing act between rotating for a tight schedule and preserving competitive edge ahead of a major cup tie.
Guillermo Almada, injury issues and Oviedo's lineup
Real Oviedo arrived in the match with clear personnel concerns. Manager Guillermo Almada acknowledged that Eric Bailly was not at his best physically and that David Costas would miss the game. Oviedo had salvaged an agonic draw against Real Sociedad in their previous outing, a result that sustained hope in their fight against relegation. The club sat last in the table with 17 points, eight behind Elche CF, the first team outside the relegation zone, and had won only one of their last 17 matches. Despite those difficulties, Oviedo had not lost at home since October, when they fell 0-2 to Espanyol.
Almada deployed a physical, forward-pressing eleven that looked to unsettle Atlético. A possible Oviedo starting formation listed was a 4-5-1: Aaron Escandell in goal; a back four of Nacho Vidal, Eric Bailly, David Carmo and Javi Lopez; a midfield quintet of Kwasi Sibo, Nicolás Fonseca, Haissem Hassan, Santi Cazorla and Ilyas Chaira; with Federico Viñas leading the line. Oviedo produced opportunities throughout the match and repeatedly tested Oblak, but their finishing proved insufficient.
Context from recent fixtures and squad availability
Atlético had arrived at Oviedo buoyed by a string of recent results and an emphatic 4-1 victory over Club Brujas on 25/02/26 that propelled them into the Champions League last 16. Other recent Atlético results included a 4-2 win over Espanyol on 21/02/26, a 3-3 draw with Brujas on 18/02/26, a 4-0 victory over Barcelona on 12/02/26 and a 0-1 loss to Real Betis on 08/02/26. The manager also contended with squad availability: Obed Vargas and Clément Lenglet had not started either of the last two fixtures since their winter arrivals, while Nico González and Pablo Barrios were sidelined with muscle injuries as they finished their recoveries.
Broadcasting and streaming options for matches in this period included Deportes, Select, fuboTV and the App together with national and regional platforms such as Movistar+, LaLiga TV Bar HD, M+ LALIGA TV, M+ LALIGA TV 2, Movistar Plus+ and Vamos 2.
The timing matters because Atlético were balancing rotation ahead of a high-stakes Copa del Rey tie at the Camp Nou, and the narrow win underlines both the defensive value of Jan Oblak and the reliance on moments of individual quality like Julián Álvarez's late strike to secure results.
