Araujo, Eric dedicate Barcelona win vs Oviedo to Gavi – ‘We love him very much’

FC Barcelona returned home with three points from the Carlos Tartiere Stadium as they defeated Real Oviedo 3-1, coming back from being a goal down at half-time.

Eric Garcia kickstarted the comeback in the second half with the equaliser before substitute Robert Lewandowski put the Blaugrana in front after being set up by Frenkie de Jong.

Ronald Araujo capped off the win with Barcelona’s third goal of the night late on to secure an important victory in La Liga.

Ronald Araujo dedicates win to Gavi

Araujo had a fine game on Thursday, as he was solid in defence and decisive in attack, playing a role in Eric’s equaliser before sealing the match with his own commanding header.

After the game, the centre-back spoke to the media, reflecting on the performance (h/t Mundo Deportivo): “The team always had the calm and the tranquility to sink the opponent.

“The feeling in the first few minutes wasn’t entirely good, with their corners, but the team knows how to deal with these pressures and these moments. In the second half, we were calmer, and well, I’m happy with the victory.”

The Barcelona second-captain then went on to dedicate the victory to his teammate Gavi, who is out injured for the next five months.

“It’s a victory for Gavi, we dedicate it to him. We love him very much, hope he recovers quickly and well. We’re on top of things,” he said.

Araujo also downplayed goalkeeper Joan García’s mistake, saying: “Joan is very important to us. We know what a great goalkeeper he is and that we were going to turn the game around if we did what we had to.”

On the team’s improvement, Araujo highlighted intensity as the key, saying: “We’ve just started the season, and the team is eager. We’ve regained the necessary intensity, and I think it’s coming. It’s important to string together wins.”

Finally, he looked ahead to the title race, with Real Madrid winning six in six league games this season, saying: “They’re a great team with great players and a new coach. It will be a tough league. I don’t know who we’ll be fighting against, but we’ll fight until the end.”

Eric wishes Gavi a speedy recovery

Eric Garcia scored vs Oviedo. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Eric Garcia produced another standout performance at the Carlos Tartiere, adding to his strong start to the season.

The defender struck the equaliser for Barça, reacting quickest to a save from the Oviedo goalkeeper after a Ferran Torres effort, and once more showed his growing eye for goal.

Speaking to the media after the match, Garcia admitted the early stages were challenging, saying (h/t Mundo Deportivo):

“Overall, I think it’s a difficult pitch against a team and a crowd that pushes hard. It wasn’t easy; we struggled to get going, but as the minutes went by, we started feeling better.”

The Barça man also joked about finally finding the net again, while underlining the importance of consistency in the title race.

“It was about time (laughs). I hadn’t scored in a few games. It was very important, especially after Rayo, because Madrid doesn’t make mistakes and is right up there. The important thing is that we’re improving and growing,” he said.

Eric closed with a heartfelt message for Gavi, saying: “This triumph is for him. Both on and off the pitch. What he brings to the locker room, his passion, his attitude, his drive… So I hope he has a good recovery and returns as soon as possible.”