PREVIEW: Osasuna v FC Barcelona
The Blaugrana travel to Pamplona for the final league game before the international break. It’s the first match between the two sides in the Spanish top flight for almost two and a half years and a chance for the visitors to continue their impressive record at El Sadar.
How to follow the game live
The game kicks off at 5.00pm CET. A list of broadcasters can be found here and these are the timetables for the rest of the world:
The rival
Stadium: El Sadar
Coach: Jagoba Arrasate
La Liga record (2019/20): Four points. 1W and 1D
Former Blaugranas in the squad: Marc Cardona, Fran Mérida, Rubén Martínez
Return to El Sadar, three seasons later
Barça know how difficult to win at El Sadar: in 43 visits to this stadium, the Catalans have achieved 17 wins, 13 draws and 13 losses, with a balance of 61 goals in favour and 52 against.
Interesting stats
Barça have scored seven or more goals against Osasuna in three out of the last eight meetings.
Osasuna have failed to score in 13 of their last 21 La Liga fixtures against Barça. Of the eight they have scored in, they’ve managed more than one on just three occasions.
Barça have lost just two away matches in the league since September last season.
Osasuna haven’t conceded a goal in any of their last six home games, but haven’t found the net themselves in the last two.
Last time we met
The two teams last met at the Camp Nou on April 26, 2017, with Barça running out comfortable 7-1 winners.
On that occasion, Javier Mascherano scored his one and only goal for the club, with Leo Messi, André Gomes and Paco Alcácer all bagging a brace. Roberto Torres replied for the visitors.
Jordi Alba, 200 league games for Barça
The left back has played 199 games in the league as a Barça player since arriving in the 2012/13 season. In total, he's played 302 games for the club, as follows: 199 in the league, 58 in the Champions League, 35 in the cup, 8 in the Spanish Super Cup and 2 in the Club World Cup.
He's scored a total of 16 goals with the first team, nine of which have been in the league. The last came in the win against Betis at the Camp Nou.
The squad
Ter Stegen, N. Semedo, Piqué, I. Rakitic, Sergio, Arthur, Rafinha, Lenglet, M. Wague, Griezmann, Jordi Alba, S. Roberto, F. De Jong, Vidal, Umtiti, Iñaki Peña, C. Pérez and Ansu Fati.
Todibo and Aleñá have been left out and Suárez, Messi, O. Dembélé, Neto and Junior are all injured.