MENU
CA Osasuna hosts FC Barcelona at their home field in El Sadar Stadium on August 31, 2019.
CA Osasuna
Club Atletico Osasuna was founded in 1920 in Pamplona, Navarre in Spain. The Los Rojillos won the 2018/19 Segunda Division with a victory over Cordoba last May to earn a return to La Liga after they were relegated in 2017 after finishing 19th in the La Liga final table. Overall, they’ve spent 75 seasons playing in the top Two tiers of the Spanish Football system, including 38 in La Liga.
Osasuna has never won the La Liga and their best finish was 4th in 2005/06 when they qualified for the UEFA Champions League. They have won the second division four times including last season and they have won the third division a total of seven times. Osasuna were Copa del Rey runners-up in 2005.
Their romp in the Segunda Division in 2018/19 was mainly because of an impressive home record that almost ensured their promotion. Osasuna won their final 17 league matches at El Sadar and were the Division’s top goal-scoring team thanks mainly to 12 goals each from Juan Villar and Roberto Torres.
Ruben Garcia had 11 assists during last year’s title-winning season and there is no question that he is their main creator on offense. Garcia can play out wide or he can slide into the number ten role. Since leaving Levante in 2017, he has reinvented himself and this year he is hoping that he will be able to prove himself at the highest level.
FC Barcelona
Football Club Barcelona was founded way back in 1899 and has become the symbol of Catalan culture. In Spanish football, they have won a record 74 trophies in their history. These include 26 La Liga titles, 30 Copa del Rey, 13 Supercopa de Espana, and 2 Copa de La Liga. When it comes to the international scene, Barca has won 20 European and world titles.
In its history, Barcelona has been represented by some of the sport’s greatest players. Barcelona has a record 11 Ballon d’Or winners and 7 FIFA World Player of the Year winners, also a record. They are one of the founders of the Primera Division and have never been relegated from the top division since its creation in 1929. In 2009, they became the first Spanish football team to win the intercontinental treble- winning the La Liga, Copa del Rey and UEFA Champions League.
Barca is the reigning La Liga Champions. They have finished on top of the league in eight out of the last 11 years including the last two. They head to the 2019/20 season as the soccer betting favorites to retain their title. Barcelona finished with 11 more points than runners-up Atletico during the last term and have even bolstered their lineup with the addition of Antoine Griezmann, Frenkie de Jong and Junior Firpo.
Griezmann was brilliant in Barcelona’s win over Real Betis as he scored twice in their 5-2 win last Sunday. The champions thus bounced back from a surprise opening day defeat to Athletic Bilbao. Not only was the team impressive for coach Ernesto Valverde, but there were also plenty of individual highlights which displayed Barcelona’s depth and incredible talent level.
Who Wins?
Valverde showed that he is willing to change his lineup in the early part of the season. While you can say that it may be forced because of the injuries to Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, he’s made huge decisions in the midfield like leaving Ivan Rakitic on the bench in the first two weeks of the season. With Messi and Suarez watching from the stands, Griezmann and Barca B forward Carles Perez shone for the team.
Osasuna head to this match with just one loss in their last six matches, including two draws. However, take the opening day loss away and Barca has been spotless. The La Liga champions have won five out of their last six matches. It was uneventful that they slipped on opening day but they’ve bounced back and will show why they are the team to beat. Prediction: Barcelona
Miami Heat vs Milwaukee Bucks 04/19/2023 NBA Odds and Prediction
New York Mets vs Los Angeles Dodgers 04/17/2023 MLB Preview and Prediction
Minnesota Twins vs New York Yankees 04/14/2023 MLB Preview and Prediction
OKC Thunder vs New Orleans Pelicans 04/12/2023 NBA Play-in Tournament Odds and Prediction
