The lowdown on Osasuna
FC Barcelona face Osasuna in their final league fixture before the World Cup break. In the build-up to Tuesday's encounter at El Sadar, we take a closer look at the side from Pamplona.
Where are they from?
Osasuna are from the city of Pamplona, the largest city and capital of the region of Navarra. Known as Iruñea in the Basque language, the city of 209,000 people is best known internationally for the San Fermín festival in July, which features the famous ‘running of the bulls’.
History
The club was founded in 1920 out of a merger between two older clubs and its name means something like ‘health’ / ‘strength’ in the Basque language. Other than a brief period in the 1950s, when they finished as high as fifth in La Liga, they had spent most of their years in the lower divisions until returning to the top flight in 1980.
Since then they have been a more or less regular fixture in the first division, usually finishing mid-table but occasionally making it into the UEFA Cup/Europe League, their best run coming in 2006/07 when they went all the way to the semi-finals.
And in 2005 they reached their only major final, the Copa del Rey, losing in extra time to Real Betis.
Head to head
Barça have lost just one of their last 12 games with Osasuna, a shock home defeat in 2020.
They have also lost just once in their last 12 visits to Pamplona in the league, that defeat coming back in the 2011/12 season with Pep Guardiola as coach.
On their last six visits they have won three times and drawn three times with last season's fixture ending 2-2 with goals from Nico and Ez Abde.
Last five meetings (all La Liga)
13/03/22 Barça 4-0 Osasuna
12/12/22 Osasuna 2-2 Barça
06/03/21 Osasuna 0-2 Barça
29/11/20 Barça 4-0 Osasuna
16/07/20 Barça 1-2 Osasuna
Form guide
Osasuna's season started with four wins in five games. But that side was followed a drop in form that saw them pick up just one point from four games, albeit an impressive point away to leaders Real Madrid.
Things have now picked up again, and with 10 points from a possible 12 in their last four games that has risen back up to very healthy looking fifth in the table.
The players
International caps
Ante Budimir (Croatia, 13); Darko Brašanac (Serbia, 3); Abde Ezzalzouli (Morocco, 1)
Barça connections
Curiously, Ez Abde was the last FC Barcelona player to score at El Sadar but this time he'll be lining up for the home side. He joined Barça B in 2021, but ended up playing several games for the first team. He joined Osasuna on loan at the start of this season.
Top scorer 2022/23 in La Liga
Chimy Ávila (6)
The boss
Jagoba Arrasate never played football at the highest level, but impressed as a coach at Real Sociedad, eventually taking over the first team in their Champions League season of 2013/14. He took the Osasuna job in 2018, originally just for one year, but after guiding the team back into the first division he has been there ever since.