Sports Mole previews Sunday’s La Liga clash between Osasuna and Atletico Madrid, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Atletico Madrid will be aiming to bounce back from Thursday’s Copa del Rey quarter-final loss to Real Madrid when they resume their La Liga campaign away to Osasuna on Sunday afternoon.
Diego Simeone‘s side are currently fourth in the table, boasting 31 points from their opening 18 matches, while Osasuna sit seventh, only three points behind their opponents this weekend.
Match preview
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While Atletico were left disappointed in the Copa del Rey, Osasuna secured their spot in the semi-finals by recording a 2-1 victory over Sevilla on Wednesday night.
Jagoba Arrasate‘s side progressed to the final four courtesy of a 99th-minute effort from Abde Ezzalzouli, and they will be bidding to make it seven matches unbeaten in all competitions in Sunday’s clash with Atletico.
Osasuna have picked up five points from their last three La Liga games against Athletic Bilbao, Mallorca and Elche, with a total of 28 points from 18 matches leaving them in seventh position in the table, only three points behind fourth-placed Atletico heading into this weekend’s contest.
Los Rojillos have finished 10th, 11th and 10th in Spain’s top flight since their promotion in 2018-19, but they could be in the mix for a European spot come the end of the campaign.
Arrasate’s team have the third-best home record in La Liga this season, collecting 18 points from nine matches, but they have lost each of their last eight league games against Atletico, with their last success over the capital giants coming in February 2014.
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Atletico, as mentioned, suffered a 3-1 loss to Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey on Thursday night; Simeone’s side led at the interval through Alvaro Morata‘s goal, but Rodrygo levelled the scores in the 79th minute before Los Blancos scored twice in extra-time.
The Copa del Rey had been Atletico’s best chance of securing silverware this season, as they are not involved in the knockout rounds of the Champions League or Europa League.
The Red and Whites will now be focused on securing a top-four spot in La Liga, and they are currently in fourth position, boasting 31 points from their opening 18 matches, but as mentioned, Osasuna are just three points behind, while Real Betis and Villarreal will also have their eyes on a Champions League spot.
There is no getting away from the fact that it has been a tough campaign for Atletico, but they recorded a 3-0 victory over Real Valladolid in the league last weekend and will fancy their chances of picking up points in the upcoming games with Getafe, Celta Vigo and Athletic Bilbao.
Simeone’s future remains the subject of much speculation, with the Argentine said to be considering walking away from his role as head coach this summer, so it could be a period of transition for the club.
Osasuna La Liga form:
Osasuna form (all competitions):
Atletico Madrid La Liga form:
Atletico Madrid form (all competitions):
Team News
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Osasuna will be missing Nacho Vidal and Ruben Pena this weekend through injury, while head coach Arrasate will need to assess the fitness of his players following the Copa del Rey clash with Sevilla.
There will be changes from the side that started in the cup, with Aitor Fernandez, Aridane Hernandez, Darko Brasanac and Ante Budimir among those set to return to the XI.
The home side are expected to line up in a 4-5-1 formation, meanwhile, with Ezequiel Avila, who was on the scoresheet against Sevilla on Wednesday, featuring in a slightly wider position.
As for Atletico, Marcos Llorente will again be missing due to a muscular problem, but Simeone’s side did not pick up any fresh fitness issues against Real Madrid.
Stefan Savic is available despite his red card in the Madrid derby on Thursday, while Memphis Depay is pushing to make the first XI following his recent arrival from Barcelona.
Morata and Antoine Griezmann could start as the front two on Sunday, while Geoffrey Kondogbia and Pablo Barrios are likely to be introduced to freshen the midfield for the Red and Whites.
Osasuna possible starting lineup:
Fernandez; Moreno, Hernandez, Garcia, Cruz; Moncayola, Gomez, Torro, Brasanac, Avila; Budimir
Atletico Madrid possible starting lineup:
Oblak; Reinildo, Savic, Hermoso; Molina, Kondogbia, Barrios, Koke, Lemar; Griezmann, Morata
We say: Osasuna 1-2 Atletico Madrid
Despite Osasuna having a strong home record this season, they have lost three times in front of their own fans, while Atletico have been solid on their travels, picking up 17 points from nine matches. It would not be a shock to see a home win or a draw, but we just have a feeling that the visitors could sneak a huge win.
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Top tip
Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting under 2.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Under 2.5:data
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