Osasuna vs Barcelona

El Sadar is the venue as perennial mid-table tenants Osasuna and title hopefuls Barcelona go head-to-head in a midweek La Liga encounter.

Osasuna eked out a massive 2-1 win at Celta Vigo over the weekend to extend their unbeaten La Liga streak to four matches (W3, D1) and equal their best 13-game top-flight start since 2005/06. If you’re looking for an omen, the last time Osasuna captured 23 points at this stage of a La Liga season (W7, D2, L4), they finished fourth. Adding to this sentiment, ‘Los Rojillos’ have claimed five wins from their opening seven home league games this term (L2), accounting for their best home start to a new top-flight campaign since 2005/06. Against this backdrop, Jagoba Arrasate’s men have picked up just one victory across their last 12 La Liga meetings with Barcelona (D3, L8), while they’re on a six-game wait for a home H2H win in the competition (D3, L3).

On the other hand, visiting Barcelona cruised to a 2-0 home win over promoted Almeria at the weekend, painting Gerard Pique’s final game for the club with flying colours. Xavi Hernandez’s men have gone from strength to strength since a 3-1 El Clasico defeat at Real Madrid, racking up four consecutive league wins ‘to nil’ to overtake ‘Los Blancos’ at the summit at least temporarily. Barring that loss at the Santiago Bernabeu, the Catalan heavyweights have won their five remaining La Liga away fixtures this season via an aggregate score of 14-1. Indeed, much of the credit for Barcelona’s fourth-joint best points tally after 13 La Liga rounds (32) goes to a watertight backline that has conceded the joint-low four goals at this stage of a top-flight season.