Barcelona vs Osasuna Preview

After a two-week hiatus, club football returns this week with La Liga resuming with an early fixture between Barcelona and Osasuna.

This fixture was rescheduled after the sudden passing of Barcelona doctor Carles Miñarro Garcia, meaning that Barca, who are already leading the La Liga table, have a chance to pull three points clear at the top with a win here.

Although the Blaugrana are angry that this fixture has been scheduled so early after the break, they will be looking to honour Garcia by extending an imperious seven-game winning streak in the league that’s handed them the advantage in the title race. Hansi Flick’s men are bound to be full of confidence after avoiding defeat in any competition since December (W15, D3). Also, the fact that they’ve won the last four H2Hs on home turf without conceding a single goal should give them even more confidence here.

Only once have they managed five or more successive shutouts against Osasuna in La Liga home games, and Barcelona could well have revenge on their minds ahead of this clash after losing the reverse fixture 4-2 in September. Interestingly, Osasuna remain the only side to score four times in a single La Liga game against Flick’s side.

They face a considerable challenge to live up to that result, as they have never previously completed a La Liga double over Barcelona. That rings especially true when analysing Los Rojillos’ recent struggles, as they have failed to win any of their last five league matches (D3, L2) and have tumbled down the table as a result.

Only six points separate them from the relegation zone, and their troubles can be traced back to an inability to win on the road. Only three sides have won fewer points than the nine they have accumulated in away La Liga matches (W1, D6, L5), with their last seven such fixtures producing no victories and just three goals scored (D4, L3).

Other fixtures taking place this week in the Spanish Primera Liga:

Spanish Primera Liga Table