Oviedo looks for the heir to Borja Bastón in the derby

In the Asturian derby, Real Oviedo are looking back at a recent reference point: Borja Bastón is still, nearly four years later, the last player to deliver an Oviedo win against Sporting. As MARCA reports, the key moment came on December 17, 2022, when the striker settled the match at the Carlos Tartiere with a 1-0, with Álvaro Cervera on the Oviedo bench and Abelardo leading Sporting.

A winless run

Since that night, Oviedo have played five derby matches without managing another victory: three draws and two defeats. MARCA points out that the Carlos Tartiere has been waiting since April, turning the next derby into the main chance to break the drought.

Before leaving, Bastón left a mark in blue. Over three seasons he scored 42 goals for Oviedo. MARCA also recalls that he joined from Leganés in summer 2021, finishing his first campaign with 22 goals, and later adding more across subsequent seasons—yet that derby goal remains the latest decisive one Oviedo have had in this fixture.

The search for a new hero

After Oviedo, Bastón’s path changed: he left the Tartiere in summer 2024, went to Pachuca (nine matches, no goals), returned to Spain with Granada (11 games without scoring) and then moved to South Korea. With Paju Frontier, he found his scoring touch again, netting seven goals and one assist in 23 matches last season.

This Sunday, MARCA says, Oviedo get another opportunity to find Bastón’s successor and finally end the wait that dates back to that December 2022 winner.