Pamplona side looking to bounce back from heavy defeat. Osasuna vs Espanyol prediction
Osasuna and Espanyol will meet on Saturday, 12 September, in the fifth round of La Liga. The match will take place at El Sadar in Pamplona, with kick-off at 16:15 CET. I am backing a goals market bet for this game.
H2H and statistical facts
- Osasuna have yet to concede at home this season.
- The Catalans have scored in eight consecutive matches.
- Espanyol have won just one away match this year — against Osasuna.
- Espanyol beat Osasuna in both meetings last season.
Osasuna looking to bounce back from heavy defeat
Osasuna have made a fairly confident start to the new La Liga season and have collected seven points after four rounds. The team have recorded two wins, one draw and one defeat, scoring five goals and conceding six. The start of the campaign has been particularly interesting for the Pamplona side: after beating Celta 2-1, they drew 0-0 with Levante and then secured a narrow victory over Getafe. As a result, the team quickly established themselves in the top half of the table.
However, Osasuna suffered a major setback in the previous round. The team lost 5-2 away to Alavés, having already found themselves trailing by half-time. Ante Budimir scored twice, but even his two goals could not prevent a heavy defeat. The head coach and players admitted after the match that they had made numerous mistakes, particularly in defence.
Budimir's goalscoring form remains one of Osasuna's main positives at the start of the championship. The striker has scored four of the team's five La Liga goals and stands out for the number of shots he has taken. The hosts will certainly be relying on his ability to find space and finish attacks against Espanyol as well.
The home factor will be particularly important in the upcoming match. After the painful defeat in Vitoria, Osasuna need to quickly put the setback behind them and show that it was an isolated lapse. At El Sadar, the team are likely to be more aggressive than they were in the previous round, while also needing to avoid repeating their defensive mistakes.
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The Catalans can give any opponent a tough game
Espanyol head into the fifth round with four points. The team have won one match, drawn one and lost two, while scoring six goals — more than Osasuna. Their start to the season has been mixed: the Catalans thrashed Levante 3-0 before losing 2-1 to Real Madrid and 2-1 to Real Sociedad. In the most recent round, Espanyol picked up a point by drawing 1-1 at home with Sevilla.
The main feature of Espanyol's start has been their ability to regularly create chances in attack, although they have not yet been particularly reliable defensively. The Catalans have conceded five goals in their last three matches, although their opponents were Real Madrid, Real Sociedad and Sevilla. At the same time, six goals in four rounds show that the attacking unit can cause problems even for more highly regarded teams.
Espanyol's ability to respond after conceding is particularly important. They lost to both Real Madrid and Real Sociedad by a narrow margin, while managing to draw with Sevilla. This suggests that the Catalans can withstand pressure and remain in contention until the final whistle.
However, the squad situation is not ideal. Espanyol will be without Javi Puado, who is recovering from a cruciate ligament injury. The participation of several other players in the defensive line is also in doubt. Those absences could affect the tactical approach, particularly if Osasuna manage to deliver the ball into the penalty area regularly.
Probable line-ups
- Osasuna: Herrera, Arguibide, Boyomo, Catena, Bretones, Muñoz, Moncayola, Haro, Gómez, García, Budimir.
- Espanyol: Dmitrović, Khinokho, Cabrera, Núñez, Hilali, Moscardó, Expósito, Calava, Doolan, Fernández, Hernández.
What to bet on?
A fairly tight match is expected, with Osasuna holding a slight advantage thanks to home field. At the same time, the heavy defeat by Alavés means that the Pamplona side's defensive form should be assessed with caution, while Espanyol have already shown that they can score and stay in contention for a result. I expect a balanced game and am backing the visitors to score at least one goal.
