Preview: Osasuna vs Atletico Madrid - prediction, team news, lineups

Osasuna will look to make home advantage count when they host Atletico Madrid at Estadio El Sadar on Tuesday evening, with just three rounds remaining in the La Liga season.

The hosts will be hoping to bounce back from a disappointing recent run of results, while the visitors arrive in Pamplona desperate to arrest a slump and end the campaign on a high note.

Match preview

Osasuna sit 10th in the La Liga table with 42 points from 35 matches - an outcome that represents something of an overachievement, given that many had tipped Alessio Lisci’s side for a relegation battle at the start of the campaign.

Their goal difference of -3, having scored 42 and conceded 45, reflects a team that has struggled for consistency, yet being comfortably ensconced in mid-table with the season drawing to a close represents a satisfactory outcome for the club.

Osasuna have been considerably more effective at El Sadar than on their travels, with their home record reading nine wins, five draws and three defeats.

Their recent home form in La Liga has been reasonable, amassing three wins, two draws and one defeat from their last six matches at El Sadar while scoring nine and conceding seven.

Their last three outings, however, tell a story of inconsistency: a 2-1 victory over Sevilla was followed by back-to-back defeats - a 2-1 loss to Barcelona and a 3-2 defeat to Levante. 

The defeat at Levante was particularly frustrating, with Osasuna conceding two quick goals before their opponents added a third in the 90th minute to complete a comeback, and Lisci will be demanding a far more composed performance from his side on Tuesday.

Across their last five matches in all competitions, Osasuna have recorded just one win, one draw and three defeats.

© Imago

Atletico Madrid, meanwhile, arrive at El Sadar also looking to get back to winning ways.

Diego Simeone's side sit fourth in the table with 63 points from 19 wins, six draws and 10 defeats, and while their place in the top four is not yet mathematically confirmed, they remain the most likely side to occupy that position come the end of the campaign.

Recent form, however, has been troubling, with Atletico winning just two, drawing one and losing two of their last five matches across all competitions.

They arrive at El Sadar on the back of a 1-0 defeat to Celta Vigo at the Metropolitano, a result that followed a 1-0 loss to Arsenal in the Champions League semi-final, a defeat that ended the club’s hopes of winning a trophy this season.

Away from home, Atletico’s figures are particularly concerning, with five wins, five draws and seven defeats on the road in La Liga. 

In their last six away La Liga matches, Simeone’s side have recorded just two victories and no draws, suffering four defeats during that run. 

Compact, pragmatic and defensively well-drilled as they have traditionally been, the balance between defensive solidity and attacking creativity has been harder to achieve this season, and Tuesday’s trip represents another difficult test of their resilience.

In the last five meetings between these sides, Atletico have won three, with Osasuna winning the other two.

Osasuna La Liga form:

Atletico Madrid La Liga form:

Atletico Madrid form (all competitions):

Team News

© Iconsport / ALTERPHOTOS/Acero

Osasuna will be without goalkeeper Sergio Herrera, who was sent off at half time against Levante for handling the ball outside the box and will serve a suspension on Tuesday evening.

Victor Munoz has been sidelined since late April with a calf injury and is not expected to be available.

Alejandro Catena and Flavien Enzo Boyomo are expected to anchor the defensive line, with Iker Munoz and Jon Moncayola set to operate in central midfield.

Atletico arrive with a considerable number of injury concerns, with Pablo Barrios, Giuliano Simeone and Johnny Cardoso all sidelined with thigh injuries ahead of Tuesday’s fixture.

Nicolas Gonzalez is also unavailable with a thigh problem, while Julian Alvarez misses out with an ankle injury - a significant blow given the Argentine’s importance to Simeone’s attacking play.

Despite those absences, Atletico retain enough quality across the squad to field a competitive side, with Antoine Griezmann and Ademola Lookman expected to lead the attacking threat against Osasuna, which has shown defensive vulnerabilities in recent weeks.

Osasuna possible starting lineup:

Fernandez; Rosier, Boyomo, Catena, Bretones; Moncayola, Munoz; Garcia, Oroz, Moro; Budimir

Atletico Madrid possible starting lineup:

Oblak; Ruggeri, Hancko, Lenglet, Pubill; Lookman, Baena, Koke, Llorente; Sorloth, Griezmann

We say: Osasuna 1-2 Atletico Madrid

Osasuna’s home record and Atletico’s poor form on the road make this a far more competitive fixture than the table might suggest, and Lisci’s side will fancy their chances of causing problems at El Sadar.

However, the quality of Griezmann and Lookman should ultimately prove the difference, and we back Simeone’s side to come on top

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.