Osusuna are languishing in the 11th spot in the La Liga table, with 45 points, and in with a chance of finishing in one of the European places. They are seven points adrift of Celta Vigo for the last Europa League spot, but trail eight-placed Rayo Vallecano by only two points for the only UEFA Europa Conference League position available for grabs.
Osasuna would like to feature in the third-tier European competition, as their hopes for that improbably-looking Europa League spot could evaporate as soon as this week. Vincente Moreno’s men have gone five games unbeaten in the league since their loss to Barcelona, and those included three consecutive wins before their loss to Villarreal.
Last weekend, they managed a late equaliser through Ante Budimir to snatch a point against Real Betis away from home. Osasuna are aiming for a late push for the Conference League, although they must overcome an Atletico Madrid side at home against whom they have a dreadful record of only one win in their last 13 meetings in La Liga.
Diego Simeone’s charges, on the other hand, have nothing more to win other than building momentum for the summer’s Club World Cup. Atletico Madrid sit comfortably in third spot, and with two games to go, they might have a slim chance of overcoming Real Madrid in second.
Atletico have accumulated 70 points, while fourth and fifth-placed Athletic Club (64 points) and Villarreal (61 points) are not expected to catch them cold. Last weekend, Alexander Sorloth put in a magnificent display at home against Real Sociedad to seal a top-five place and a place in next season’s Champions League.
Sorloth scored La Liga’s fastest-ever hat-trick spanning 3 minutes and 57 seconds, as Atletico Madrid were 3-0 up at around 11 minutes. The Norwegian added a fourth to his name before the closure of the first half, as Atletico held on to their lead and registered a clean sheet. They now travel to face Osasuna, against whom Simeone’s men have not lost away from home since 2014.
Vicente Moreno could revert to a back three to thwart the attacking threat posed by Atletico Madrid, as the Osasuna manager could make some changes. Jon Moncayola will once again be sidelined with a hamstring problem that has seen them miss the last three games, but there will be a slight chance of him returning for one of the last two games after this one with Atletico Madrid.
Left-back Abel Bretones could be reintroduced to the side after being dropped against Real Betis, and he could return in a different role as a wing-back for this one. Enzo Boyomo, Alejandro Catena, and Jorge Herrando are the ones expected to feature in the back three, while Jesus Areso will feature as the right wing-back.
Lucas Torro and Pablo Ibanez will be stationed in central midfield, with Aimar Oroz will feature in the attacking midfield role. Bryan Zaragoza and Ante Budimir will lead the line for Osasuna, with the hope of being better than the Atletico Madrid defenders.
Probable Lineup (3-4-1-2): Herrera; Boyomo, Catena, Herrando; Areso, Torro, Ibanez, Bretones; Oroz; Zaragoza, Budimir
Diego Simeone will come into this clash with a fully-fit squad at his disposal. In a big boost, key attacker Julian Alvarez is available after a one-match suspension. Simeone could revert to a 4-4-2 for this one away from home, with Alvarez partnering four-goal star Alexander Sorloth up front.
Winger Rodrigo Riquelme was absent for the last game, but he is deemed to be fit for this one, although he might only take a place on the bench.
Jose Maria Gimenez and Robin Le Normand are the preferred choices at the heart of the defence, with Marcos Llorente and Javi Galan to be stationed in the full-back roles. Giovanni Simeone and Samuel Lino are likely to start in the wide areas of the four-man midfield, with Rodrigo De Paul and Pablo Barrios in the central roles for Atletico Madrid.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Oblak; Llorente, Gimenez, Le Normand, Galan; Simeone, De Paul, Barrios, Lino; Sorloth, Alvarez
Sorloth scored four times in one half against Real Sociedad last weekend and secured the fastest-ever hat-trick in La Liga history. Those strikes took his season’s tally to 21 goals, and Diego Simeone will delighted with the striker’s momentum ahead of the Club World Cup.
The Osasuna clash is another opportunity for Sorloth to confirm his status as one of La Liga’s lethal marksmen. Only this time, the Norwegian will have regular attacking partner Alvarez alongside, so there might be a sense of competition with the Argentine, something Sorloth will hope to come out on top and give Simeone the added layer in his attacking system.
Osasuna are in a decent vein of form coming into this clash on home soil against Atletico Madrid. The home side’s manager, Vicente Moreno will aim for a late push into that one UEFA Europa Conference League spot, although their record against the La Liga giants could come to the fore, as they could potentially lose this clash.
Atletico Madrid are coming into this clash on the back of a top-class display against Real Sociedad, and they will take the momentum from the last few games to secure a win here. There’s no doubt that Diego Simeone’s men are the favourites for this clash, but Osasuna are equally equipped to put up a fight in this game. The Hard Tackle predicts a narrow 2-1 win for Simeone and his charges.
