Osasuna vs Athletic Bilbao Preview & Prediction | 2023-24 Spanish Primera
Click here for today’s sports betting tips from our expert analysts!
THE FACTS
When is Osasuna vs Athletic Bilbao on and what time does it start? Osasuna vs Athletic Bilbao will take place on Saturday 19th August, 2023 – 20:30 (UK)
Where can I get tickets for Osasuna vs Athletic Bilbao? Visit each club’s official website for the latest ticket information
What TV channel is Osasuna vs Athletic Bilbao on in the UK? Osasuna vs Athletic Bilbao will be televised live on LaLigaTV, but La Liga matches are also televised occasionally on Viaplay Sports and ITV
Where can I stream Osasuna vs Athletic Bilbao in the UK? Osasuna vs Athletic Bilbao can be streamed live on Viaplay, while ITV matches can be streamed live on ITVX
THE LOWDOWN
OSASUNA
With UEFA Europa Conference League playoffs coming up and their first jaunt into European competition for over 15 years, the excitement in Pamplona will be palpable this weekend and over the coming weeks. They come into this on the back of a very impressive and comfortable 2-0 win away at Celta Vigo, too, on the opening day of the season.
The Copa del Rey finalists of last season and seventh placed Osasuna are looking to emulate their relative success from the 2022/23 campaign. A goal mid-way through the first-half from left winger Moi Gomez and then a goal mid-way through the second-half from right winger Ruben Garcia have them a perfect start to the campaign last weekend.
ATHLETIC BILBAO
Facing Real Madrid on the opening day of the season was never supposed to be an overly enjoyable experience for Athletic Club but they were really, really poor at home last weekend. With players defending the manager and saying if he could he should and would have taken them all off at half-time, they were lacklustre in front of an opening day crowd that should get more than that.
The visitors are restricted in the transfer window because of the ‘cantera’ policy of only signing Basque players but even still, Ernesto Valverde, who has been criticised in the past for fairly dogged and reactionary football, will have to provide something a little more impressive than that; especially after missing out on European qualification yet again last season.
THE TEAM NEWS
OSASUNA
Jagoba Arrasate has evolved his style this season already, reverting to a 4-3-3 system against Celta in their excellent and impressive win in Galicia. Given how comfortable they were in that victory and with no new injuries or suspensions, they are expected to name an unchanged side for this one.
PREDICTED XI (X-X-X-X): Herrera; Pena, Catena, D.Garcia, Mojica; Moncayola, Torro, Oroz; R.Garcia, Budimir, Gomez
UNAVAILABLE: Brasanac (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
ATHLETIC BILBAO
Ernesto Valverde prefers a 4-2-3-1 system but is limited with options, especially due to injuries suffered by Yuri Berchiche and Yeray Alvarez. He has options such as Oihan Sancet and Ander Herrera to come into the eleven but the latter has been out of favour since he re-joined the club last summer.
PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Simon; de Marcos, Vivian, Paredes, Lekue; Ruiz de Galarreta, Vesga; N.Williams, Sancet, Muniain; I.Williams
UNAVAILABLE: Yeray Alvarez (Injured), Berchiche (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
THE PREDICTION
These two faced off in some crucial matches towards the end of last season. Osasuna defeated Athletic over two legs in the Copa del Rey semi-final and then finished above their Basque opponents in the table, qualifying for the UEFA Europa Conference League – which was briefly awarded to Athletic due to UEFA interference and a long, old story about Osasuna and financial issues in the distant past but that has now been sorted. One team has had the wool over the other and that side has home advantage, started the season very well and the other began very sluggishly, admitted by their own players. This surely has only one winner.
TIP: OSASUNA TO WIN
