Overview
Osasuna entered the weekend round with excitement after a 2-1 victory over Sevilla, the result helped them rise to 9th place in the standings. The Navarre team is currently only 2 points behind Getafe - 6th - in the race to win a ticket to the European Cup in the 2026-2027 season.
After 33 rounds, Osasuna has won 11, drawn 9 and lost 13 matches. Their biggest strength this season is home ground, where Los Rojillos have earned 32 points after 16 matches, including 9 wins. This is a feat enough for them to nurture hopes of competing for a place in the top 6 when the season enters a decisive stage.
Alessio Lisci's team has not had too stable form recently when they have only won 1 in the last 4 rounds. However, losing only 1 match in the same period shows tenacity - a very important factor in the long-distance race.
Head-to-head history is not on Osasuna's side as they have only won 21 out of 100 encounters with Barcelona. In the first leg of this season, they also lost 0-2. However, the El Sadar home team has the right to be confident when they once defeated Barcelona 4-2 right at home in September 2024.
In the opposite direction, Barcelona enters this match with an opportunity to win the championship early. The Catalan team may officially win La Liga if they defeat Osasuna, thereby increasing the total points to 88, and waiting for Real Madrid not to be able to win against Espanyol.
However, Barcelona's coronation is almost only a matter of time. Even if they cannot win the championship in this round, they can still decide the championship in the upcoming El Clasico - a scenario that brings more emotions to fans.
The 2025-2026 season witnessed Barcelona's almost absolute dominance in La Liga. After 33 rounds, they have won 28 matches, drawn 1 and only lost 4 matches, accumulated 85 points and far ahead of Real Madrid in second place. In particular, they have the best away record in the league, with 34 points after 16 matches.
However, Barcelona's biggest minus point this season is stopping in the Champions League quarter-finals. This shows that they still need to strengthen their forces, especially in defense, if they really want to compete for the European championship next season.
Personnel situation
Osasuna will be without Iker Benito (knee injury) and Victor Munoz (muscle injury) in the weekend match. Meanwhile, Aimar Oroz still needs to have his fitness checked before the match kicks off.
In attack, Ante Budimir continues to be the biggest hope of the home team. The Croatian striker is having an impressive season with 16 goals after 32 appearances in La Liga and is almost certain to start. If he recovers in time, Oroz is expected to take on the role of number 10, supporting behind the center forward, while Ruben Garcia is likely to start on the left wing.
On Barcelona's side, Raphinha and Marc Bernal have returned to training after injuries and are ready to be on the squad. Andreas Christensen, despite positive progress after a long-term knee injury, is still not fit enough to play in this match.
Notably, Lamine Yamal will be out for the rest of the season due to a hamstring injury, while Jules Kounde is suspended after receiving enough yellow cards. However, Hansi Flick's team is still in very high form with a 9-match winning streak in La Liga.
Expected lineup:
Herrera, Rosier, Catena, Boyomo, Galan, I. Munoz, Moncayola, Moro, Oroz, Ruben Garcia, Budimir.
J. Garcia, E. Garcia, Cubarsi, Martin, Cancelo, Gavi, Pedri, Bardghji, Olmo, Fermin, Torres.
The match between Osasuna and Barcelona takes place at 2:00 AM on May 3rd (Vietnam time).
