Osasuna vs Sevilla prediction and match preview for Friday’s LaLiga fixture. Read on for analysis, team news and predicted lineups as the 2022/23 season kicks off in Pamplona.
| Date | Friday 12th August 2022 |
| Kick-Off | 21:00 (local time) |
| Stadium | El Sadar |
| Competition | LaLiga |
Osasuna vs Sevilla Preview
LaLiga returns on Friday night and it does so with an intriguing game in Pamplona. Many doubt whether Sevilla are going to be capable of replicating their top four finishes of recent years following a summer of major departures and this will be an early test of their metal against a competitive Osasuna side at what should be a noisy El Sadar.
Osasuna haven’t finished higher than 10th or lower than 11th since winning promotion to LaLiga in 2019. That may not sound particularly exciting but it’s testament to the really good job that Jagoba Arrasate has done with his side consistently outperforming teams with comparable resources. A mid-table finish again feels like the best Osasuna can hope for this season, but they will fancy their chances in this game.
The summer business in Pamplona has been relatively limited with Moi Gomez, signed for €1.8m from Villarreal, the most interesting addition. Arrasate will have to figure out how to best incorporate him into the starting XI. He’s slightly different to the typical mold of an Osasuna midfielder and it’ll be interesting to see whether he can provide a bit of extra creativity without disrupting the things Osasuna are usually good at.
The future of David Garica, who has a €20m release clause, is the only thing that may be getting Osasuna fans a little nervous as the new season starts. On the surface, he may be a useful addition for a club like Sevilla who have lost both Jules Kounde and Diego Carlos this summer, leaving them with big holes to fill at the back. Marcao has arrived from Galatasaray but is unavailable here and it’s hard to see how Sevilla will be anywhere near as good defensively this term after they only conceded 30 last season, the best record in LaLiga.
Julen Lopetegui was already starting to come under a bit of pressure as Sevilla faded badly in the second half of the 2021/22 campaign and he really could do with a positive result on the opening day. Isco and Alex Telles are the other new arrivals so far this summer at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan. Both have the potential to make a difference but come after difficult periods in their careers and in Isco’s case it’s now several seasons since he was a truly impactful player in Madrid so it’s hard to see him making an immediate difference in Seville.
Team News
Osasuna
| INJURED | Kike Saverio |
| DOUBTFUL | Ruben Garcia |
| BANNED |
Sevilla
| INJURED | Suso, Marcao |
| DOUBTFUL | |
| BANNED |
Possible Lineups
Osasuna: Herrera – Sanchez, Cruz, David Garcia, Vidal – Torro, Moncayola – Gomez, Brasanac, Avila – Budimir (4-2-3-1)
Sevilla: Bono – Acuna, Rekik, Gudelj, Navas – Rakitic, Fernando, Jordan – Gomez, En-Nesyri, Ocampos (4-3-3)
Score Prediction: Osasuna 1-0 Sevilla
We could see a minor upset to start the new season. Sevilla’s central defence that has been so key to their success has been decimated this summer and they’ve looked shaky at times in pre-season, letting in 6 against Arsenal. Osasuna are a relatively settled, well-drilled team and they might just edge this in front of their own fans.
PLEASE NOTE – Our LaLiga predictions are not betting tips. No profits are guaranteed if you’re using them to bet on football during the 2022/23 season. If you are gambling, do so responsibly and never stake more than you can afford to lose. BeGambleAware.
