Barcelona will resume their La Liga campaign on Thursday with a home game against Osasuna, who are desperate to return to winning ways.
Barcelona and Osasuna were scheduled to square up against each other earlier in the month, but the death of the Catalan giants’ club doctor, Carles Minarro Garcia, just hours before kick-off resulted in the match being postponed.
Both clubs appealed against the fixture being scheduled for March 27th due to its proximity to the international window, but La Liga has rejected their request. Nevertheless, both teams have already begun preparations, with most of their star players returning in time to feature in the match.
Barcelona are top of La Liga with 60 points in 27 matches. They are level on points with second-placed Real Madrid. However, since the Blaugrana have a game in hand, this is their opportunity to establish a three-point lead. They have been on an 18-match unbeaten run across competitions since December, which has kept them alive in all competitions.
Hansi Flick will now be looking to ensure they carry on in a similar fashion. Barcelona are heading into this fixture on the back of a massive 4-2 win over rivals Atletico Madrid, and they will certainly be confident of securing all three points.
The visitors are 14th on the table with 33 points in their 27 outings. Osasuna are six points clear of the drop zone, and they will be looking to ensure they maintain that lead as we head into the final few fixtures of the season. Osasuna have been winless in their last five league outings.
While they will be hoping to script an incredible win over Barcelona, it looks very unlikely, given their current form. They are heading into this fixture on the back of a 2-1 defeat at the hands of a 10-men Getafe. Despite dominating the ball and taking more shots on goal, they ended up on the losing side. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Barcelona
Heading into the international break, Marc Casado joined Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Marc Bernal on the sidelines after he picked up a knee injury in their win over Atletico Madrid last time out. Pau Cubarsi has a race against time to be fit for this one, having picked up a knock on international duty.
Meanwhile, Inigo Martinez is back in training after withdrawing from the Spain squad for the break. While everyone is back training, Ronald Araujo and Raphinha were involved in a World Cup qualifier fixture late on Tuesday night. The duo will be back in time and could be a part of the squad, but they might not be risked from the get go.
Against Osasuna, Barcelona will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Wojciech Szczesny will be in goal. Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde will feature as the full-backs, while Eric Garcia will partner with Martinez in central defence.
Pedri and Frenkie de Jong will form the double pivot in the centre of the park. They will look to control the tempo of the game and ensure Barcelona have the majority of the ball. Lamine Yamal and Fermin Lopez could feature on the flanks, while Dani Olmo will take up the number ten role. Robert Lewandowski should spearhead the Barcelona attack against Osasuna.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Szczesny; Kounde, Garcia, Martinez, Balde; Pedri, de Jong; Yamal, Olmo, Fermin; Lewandowski
CA Osasuna
Bryan Zaragoza, who is on loan from Bayern Munich, is a doubt for this fixture after he picked up a knock in their last outing. Enzo Boyomo will return from his international commitment on Wednesday. As a result, he might be ready to start in this fixture. Meanwhile, Lucas Torro is suspended for this fixture, thanks to a milestone yellow last time out.
Against Barcelona, Osasuna will line up in a 4-3-3 formation, where Sergio Herrera will be in goal. Jesus Areso and Juan Cruz will feature as the full-backs, while Alejandro Catena will partner with Jorge Herrando in central defence.
In the centre of the park, Pablo Ibanez will take up the defensive role, while Jon Moncayola and Aimar Oroz will be in his support. The trio will look to ensure that Barcelona do not dominate the proceedings.
Finally, Ruben Garcia and Moi Gomez will feature on the flanks for the visitors, providing width to their attacks. Meanwhile, Ante Budimir will lead the line for Osasuna against Barcelona at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on Thursday.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Herrera; Areso, Catena, Herrando, Cruz; Moncayola, Ibanez, Oroz; Ru. Garcia, Budimir, Gomez
Key Stats
- Barcelona have been unbeaten in their last 18 outings across competitions.
- CA Osasuna stunned Barcelona 4-2 in the reverse fixture back in September.
- The visitors were on a six-match winless run across competitions before the international break.
- Hansi Flick’s team will be eyeing an eighth-straight win in La Liga.
- CA Osasuna have lost each of their last away games against Barcelona with a combined scoreline of 10-0.
Player to Watch
Lamine Yamal
At just 17, Yamal is already a mainstay for both club and country. He has a total of 30 goal contributions in his 38 outings for the Catalan giants. The youngster carried his form into the international break and did bag a goal against the Netherlands. The teenager will be eager to continue in a similar fashion when Barcelona resume their La Liga campaign against Osasuna.
Prediction
Barcelona 2-0 CA Osasuna
While Osasuna did manage to get the better of Barcelona in the reverse fixture, they are not in the best of forms heading into this fixture, having been winless in their last six games. Meanwhile, the Blaugrana have been on a dominating run, winning each of their last seven La Liga games while being unbeaten in their last 18 fixtures across competitions.
It should not be that big a problem for Hansi Flick’s team to claim all three points here. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 win for the home team.
