PREVIEW | Osasuna v FC Barcelona
After the great comeback in the cup, focus is back on league duties as the Catalans head to El Sadar this Saturday (9.00 pm CET) to face Osasuna on the 26th day of the domestic championship. Barça are on a great streak of results, and will aim for another three points to keep the pressure on those teams around them in LaLiga.
The opponent
Coach: Jagoba Arrasate
LaLiga position: 12th
LaLiga results: 7W - 7L - 11D
Top scorer in LaLiga: Budimir (6 goals)
Ex-Barça players: Rubén
Last five games
(LIGA) Alavés 0-1 Osasuna
(LIGA) Osasuna 0-2 Sevilla
(LIGA) Levante 0-1 Osasuna
(LIGA) Osasuna 2-1 Eibar
(LIGA) Real Betis 1-0 Osasuna
(COPA DEL REY) Barça 3-0 Sevilla
(LIGA) Sevilla 0-2 Barça
(LIGA) Barça 3-0 Elche
(LIGA) Barça 1-1 Cádiz
(CHAMPIONS LEAGUE) Barça 1-4 Paris Saint Germain
LaLiga state of play
Sevilla begin the weekend in fourth position, on 48 points, five points behind both Real Madrid and Barça, and with a game in hand. They travel to Elche on Saturday afternoon, before Barça play Osasuna on Saturday night.
A win for the blaugranes would pile the pressure on both Real Madrid, level on points with Barça and in third, and leaders Atlético Madrid who remain five points ahead at the summit (on 58 points) and with a game in hand.
The Madrid derby takes place on Sunday afternoon.
Precedents
The match at Camp Nou earlier this season ended with a resounding 4-0 home win thanks to goals from Braithwaite, Griezmann, Coutinho and Messi, who dedicated his goal to Diego Armando Maradona. Here are the highlights of that game:
In the last 20 LaLiga fixtures between the sides, Osasuna have won on just three occasions, and only once at El Sadar, a 3-2 home win back in February 2012, over nine years ago.
Barça have only failed to score less than two goals on six of those occasions, three of which were back in 2007 and 2008. Goal difference from league fixtures over the last 10 years is 41-10 in favour of the blaguranes.
Did you know?
Barça have just lost one of their last 10 away LaLiga games against Osasuna (W4 D5), 2-3 in February 2012, going unbeaten in their last four (W2 D2).
Osasuna have picked up points in two of their last three LaLiga games against Barça (W1 D1 L1), after losing nine of their previous 11 against them in the competition (W1 D1).
Barça are unbeaten in their last 15 games in LaLiga (W12 D3), the second best current unbeaten run of any team in the top five European Leagues (Manchester City – P19 W17 D2).
Osasuna have won four of their last six LaLiga games (L2), one more victory than they enjoyed in their previous 19 this season (W3 D7 L9).
Barça’s Lionel Messi has scored 19 goals in 23 LaLiga appearances this season and he could reach 20 goals in a 13th consecutive campaign in the competition, a record.
Messi has also scored 23 goals in 19 LaLiga appearances against Osasuna, netting three braces in his last five games against them at El Sadar in the competition.
Jagoba Arrasate has just lost one of his last four LaLiga managerial games against Barça, going unbeaten against them at home in the top-flight (W1 D1).
View from the bench
Ahead of Saturday's game, Ronald Koeman faced the press at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper.
Squad
For this fixture, Koeman has called up the following players with Miralem Pjanic back after injury: Ter Stegen, Dest, Sergio, Griezmann, Pjanic, Braithwaite, Messi, O. Dembélé, Riqui Puig, Neto, Lenglet, Pedri, Trincão, Jordi Alba, Matheus, F. De Jong, Umtiti, Junior, Iñaki Peña, Ilaix and O. Mingueza.
Out through injury are Piqué, Araujo, Coutinho, Sergi Roberto and Ansu Fati.