Barcelona vs Osasuna: BAR vs OSA – Barcelona won the league last season with a 10 point-gap from the 2nd-placed Real Madrid. However, their start to the season has not been good. They ended their opening match with a goalless draw against Getafe. However, they won both of their next matches against Cadiz and Villarreal. Due to their financial issues, it has been a tough transfer window for them. They still managed to sign Joao Felix and Joao Cancelo on the deadline day. This will give them some much-needed boost to their squad.
Barcelona are looking for their 3rd straight win of the season as they travel to the El Sadar Stadium. La Blaugrana have two wins and a draw from their first 3 games. They are currently sitting in 4th position in the La Liga table. Whereas, Osasuna have registered 2 wins and a defeat from their first 3 games. With that, they are occupying 8th place in the league table. Both teams will be looking for their 3rd league win of the season.
La Blaugrana have some serious problems with injuries. Their new signing Inigo Martinez is yet to make debut as he’s still out with a foot injury. He will still take a few days to recover and take to the field. The same goes for Pedri and Ronald Araujo as both are suffering from injuries. Araujo sustained a hamstring issue that is going to keep him out for quite some time. Similarly, Pedri has been ruled out for months with a right quadriceps injury.
With the international break set to start in a few days, La Blaugrana will not risk fielding Martinez. Meanwhile, Raphinha, who received a red card was suspended for 2 straight games. However, he will be back after serving his suspension. Coach Xavi will have to make some tough decisions about selecting his starting XI. It seems that the 16-year-old Lamine Yamal who provided an excellent performance in their last match, could again start the match. Meanwhile, Gavi will need to make way for Raphinha.
During the pre-match press conference, Xavi talked about Raphinha’s chances of starting. He said, “You give too much importance to starting. Ferran Torres came off the bench and scored two goals. This is the attitude, and the player must understand it. There are five substitutions. Whether Raphinha starts or not, he needs to be ready.” About the transfer window, he said, “I always give it a 10. It has been worked on excellently. There were moments of tension, but we played fair.”
He added, “Ansu, Abde, and Eric wanted to leave. It’s their decision. We adapted to what we could. It has been a very good market for us. Now we have to prove it.” About facing Osasuna on the road, Xavi said, “Osasuna is an intense rival with the same coach for many years. They are a rugged team and strong at home. They were eliminated from the Europa Conference League, but they have a good squad, and it will be a challenge. It’s a tough away game for us.”
Editors pick
