Atletico Madrid will travel to Osasuna for their next La Liga game on Thursday night, looking to build on the comprehensive derby win over Real Madrid.
Atletico Madrid are coming into the game against Osasuna on the back of a 3-1 win over Real Madrid, and they will be full of confidence heading into this contest.
The visitors are undoubtedly the better team here, and the fans will expect all three points. Diego Simeone’s men are currently fifth in the league table, and they have picked up ten points from five league matches.
On the other hand, Osasuna are currently 12th in the league table, and they have failed to win their last three league matches. The home side will have to improve immensely in order to grind out a positive result at home. They will be the underdogs heading into this contest, and it remains to be seen whether the players can step up and grind out a result.
Osasuna have struggled against Atletico Madrid in recent seasons, and it remains to be seen whether they can end their losing streak against the capital club. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Osasuna
📝 SQUAD LIST | #Osasuna calls 23 players for tomorrow's match against @atletienglish.#LetsGoRojillos | #OsasunaAtleti pic.twitter.com/cDNLnTyzdp
— C. A. OSASUNA (@osasuna_en) September 27, 2023
The home side will be without the services of Darko Brasanac (knee) and Jon Moncayola (foot) due to their respective injuries. Other than that, they have a fully-fit squad to choose from.
Osasuna are likely to shape up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Aitor Fernandez in goal. Ruben Pena and Juan Cruz will be deployed as the full-backs here, and they will look to help out going forward as well. Jorge Herrando and Alejandro Catena will start in central defence,
Lucas Torro will operate as the defensive midfielder here. He will look to break up the opposition attacks and win the ball back for his side. Iker Munoz and Kike Barja will start alongside him. Finally, Ante Budimir will lead the line for Osasuna, with Moi Gomez and Chimy Avila on either side of him.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Fernandez; Pena, Herrando, Catena, Cruz; Munoz, Torro, Barja; Gomez, Budimir, Avila
Atletico Madrid
The visitors have a number of injury issues heading into this contest, and they will be without the services of Vitolo (knee), Reinildo (knee), Thomas Lemar (Achilles), Caglar Soyuncu (hip), Rodrigo De Paul (muscle), and Pablo Barrios (foot). In addition, Angel Correa picked up an injury against Real Madrid and will be out for the foreseeable future.
📋 Ángel Correa suffers a grade I sprain of the medial collateral ligament of his knee. Our striker will undergo individualised work in Tuesday's training session, pending further progress.
ℹ️ https://t.co/nIpvwNAQYL pic.twitter.com/22BEEPCTYM
— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) September 26, 2023
Atletico Madrid are likely to shape up in their 3-5-2 formation, with John Oblak in goal. In the back three, Stefan Savic will start alongside Jose Maraa Gimenez and Mario Hermoso. Nahuel Molina and Samuel Lino will start as the wing-backs, and they will look to contribute offensively as well as keep the central defenders protected.
Saul Niguez will start in the central midfield along with Marcos Llorente and Axel Witsel. Witsel will look to add creativity and control to the side while the likes of Llorente and Saul will add workrate and defensive cover. Finally, Antoine Griezmann will lead the line for Atletico Madrid alongside Alvaro Morata.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Oblak; Savic, Gimenez, Hermoso; Molina, Saul, Llorente, Witsel, Lino; Morata, Griezmann
Key Stats
- Atletico Madrid have won their last ten matches against Osasuna in all competitions.
- Atletico Madrid have kept a clean sheet in 8 of their last 10 matches against Osasuna in all competitions.
- There have been over 2.5 goals scored in 8 of Atletico Madrid’s last 9 games (La Liga).
- 15 goals have been scored in the last six meetings between these two sides.
Player to Watch
Alvaro Morata
The 30-year-old Atletico Madrid striker will be our key player to watch out for. Morata has been in impressive form this season for club and country. The Spaniard has eight goals in his last eight appearances across all competitions, and he has scored five goals in three league starts this season.
He will look to continue his impressive run of form, and the 30-year-old could trouble Osasuna with his movement and link-up play. Another positive showing will take Atletico Madrid in the right direction as they look to contest for trophies this season.
Prediction
Osasuna 0-2 Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid put on an impressive showing against Real Madrid in the last game, and they have the confidence and momentum with them. They should be able to grind out all three points against a struggling Osasuna side.
The home side have failed to win four of the last five league matches, and they will be devoid of confidence right now. Furthermore, they have failed to beat Atletico Madrid in the last six meetings, and this is likely to be another disappointing outing for the hosts. The away side have enough quality to grind out a victory, and a 2-0 away win is on the cards.