League leaders Barcelona will host Osasuna in the first match after the international break as the action will resume at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium on Thursday, March 27.
In the reverse fixture at the El Sadar Stadium in Pamplona, Osasuna thrashed Barcelona 4-2 courtesy of a brace from Ante Budimir while Bryan Zaragoza and Abel Bretones scored a goal apiece with Pau Victor and Lamine Yamal scoring the two goals for the visitors.
Know more about the odds, team news, picks, and predictions for the crucial La Liga match between Barcelona and Osasuna here.
Here is when and where to watch the clash between Barcelona and Osasuna.
Date: 03/27
Time: 4 pm ET
Location: Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Barcelona
Where to watch: The match can be watched on ESPN+ in the USA
While many of the players will still be travelling back from their international commitments, Barcelona and Osasuna will go at loggerheads as both sides are looking over their shoulders in La Liga standings. While the Catalans would be aiming to extend their lead at the top, Los Rojilos are only six points above the relegation zone and would like to steer clear from any danger during the season run-in.
Barcelona currently sit pretty at the top of the La Liga standings on goal difference with 60 points from 27 matches. Hansi Flick’s men also have a game in hand as Carlo Ancelloti’s Real Madrid have collected 60 points from 28 matches. The Catalans defeated Atletico Madrid 4-2 in their last match after going down two goals at the 70-minute mark as Ferran Torres’s brace could count as the winning moment at the end of the season.
With Inigo Martinez already back in training, the centre-back might be fit to start against Osasuna, especially given that Pau Cubarsi also picked up a slight muscle strain on international duty with Spain and it would be interesting to see who Flick opts to play in the heart of the Catalans’ defense.
Frenkie de Jong is also back to peak fitness, playing almost 180 minutes for the Netherlands in the international break and will definitely play a part in the match against Osasuna. Robert Lewandowski has a knock and will be a doubt while the pair of Ronald Araujo and Raphinha are still on international duty and will be back for the weekend fixture against Girona.
Osasuna is currently in 14th place in the La Liga standings with 33 points from 27 matches and Vicente Moreno’s men would be hoping to get a positive result in Barcelona before they travel back to the other side of the country to face Athletic Bilbao on Saturday. After a 2-1 win against Real Sociedad on February 2, Los Rojilos are winless in their last five league fixtures, drawing three and losing two of those matches.
Bryan Zaragoza withdrew from Spain’s two-legged quarter-final against the Dutch side as the forward picked up a thigh injury against Getafe before the international break and the 23-year old is a major doubt for the trip to Barcelona and Bilbao as the pair of matches comes too soon for the player on loan from Bayern Munich.
The Playoffs aim to facilitate the safest bets for the game. Have a look at the predictions for the game below.
Barcelona Total goals Over 2.5 @ -125 (MGM Bet): With a potential front three of Yamal, Torres, and Victor, the pressure would be on Osasuna defenders to study the new-look frontline and establish defensive plans to deal with the dynamic front three which has the potential to hurt the 14th-placed La Liga side.
Lamine Yamal (To Score a Goal @ +155 as per MGM Bet): The leading goal scorer in the 2024-25 La Liga season, Lewandowski is a major doubt for the Osasuna fixture and Raphinha is not available due to international duty, so the pressure would be on the teeange superstar to deliver against Osasuna.
With 6 goals and 11 assists in the La Liga season so far, Yamal has proven his credentials to hurt oppositions with his pace and trickery and with the likes of Pedri and Dani Olmo supporting him from midfield, the teenager could continue his hot scoring streak against Osasuna.
A match that could certainly go both ways depending on how the hosts line up in a crucial match for their chances to regain the La Liga title. The visitors would certainly be ready for whatever the Catalans throw at them on Thursday evening.
Our Final Prediction: A 2-0 win for the hosts is the most likely outcome from the battle in Catalonia as Flick would be hoping to maintain the 3-point gap till the end of the season.
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