PREVIEW | Osasuna v FC Barcelona
A chance to make history. Hansi Flick's FC Barcelona side have a clear objective for their visit to El Sadar on Saturday for the La Liga fixture against Osasuna, kick off 9pm CEST: recording an eighth straight win in the league, a feat that would equal Barça's best ever start to a league season. Furthermore, the team will attempt to do so wearing their new green away strip.
The eighth win
So far this season the blaugranes have beaten Valencia, Athletic Club, Rayo Vallecano, Real Valladolid, Girona, Villarreal and Getafe. Seven wins in seven matches in La Liga with the chance to make it eight against Osasuna. If they can pull off a victory then the blaugranes would equal their best ever start to a La Liga season, equalling the feat of 'Tata' Martino's team in 2013/14.
Osasuna unbeaten at El Sadar
Winning in Pamplona will be no easy task. Coach Vicente Moreno is having an excellent start to this career as Osasuna coach as his side are unbeaten at home this season. The team from Navarra have taken 10 points from a possible 12 in El Sadar so far and that has helped them sit in seventh position on the table as they welcome the blaugranes on Saturday.
The squad has quality running right through it with the impressive Boyomo marshalling the defence and with the talents of Aimar Oroz in midfield and Ante Budimir and Bryan Zaragoza up front.
Precedents in Pamplona
FC Barcelona have an impressive record away at Osasuna in recent season. The blaugranes have not lost at El Sadar since the 2011/12 season. Since then Barça have taken five wins and three draws, the most recent meeting last season seeing the blaugranes come away with a 2-1 win thanks to goals from Kounde and Lewandowski. The Polish striker is in great form at the moment and leads the race to be 'pichichi', top scorer in La Liga, with seven goals in seven matches.
Hansi says
"We have prepared for a win at a tough ground," said the Barça coach Hansi Flick in his pre game press conference ahead of Saturday's trip to Pamplona.
"All our coaching staff are fantastic. We create an environment so that players can develop and feel at home", he stated. All in the run up to a key Osasuna v Barça match when the blaugranes can ensure their flawless start to this LaLiga 2024/25 season, with Flick confirming that "we are ready".
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