Athletic Club vs Osasuna predictions and match preview for Monday’s LaLiga fixture. Read on for analysis, team news and predicted lineups ahead of this derby clash.
| Date | Monday 9th January 2023 |
| Kick-Off | 21:00 (CET) |
| Stadium | San Mames |
| Competition | LaLiga |
Athletic Club vs Osasuna Preview
The Monday night action in LaLiga comes from San Mames where local rivals Athletic Club and Osasuna face off. Both sides are enjoying good seasons and are hoping to battle for European places over the coming months.
That will certainly be the objective now for Athletic with Ernesto Valverde once again defying the notion that coaches “shouldn’t go back”. His third stint in Bilbao is going well and he has found solutions at both ends of the pitch. Athletic returned from the break with a goalless draw at Betis, a good result in the circumstances and they always back themselves whenever they play at San Mames.
It’s 5 wins out of 8 for Athletic in front of their own fans this term with just 4 goals conceded in those matches. Perhaps the biggest shift from last season has been in midfield with Oihan Sancet dropping into a deeper role and impressing while they’ve been less dependent on Iker Muniain for creativity and attacking spark with the 30 year old not even making the starting XI for the trip to the Benito Villamarin.
For Osasuna, they are away to one of the big two in Basque Country for the second matchday running. A 2-0 defeat at Real Sociedad wasn’t the resumption that Jagoba Arrasate would have wanted but it wasn’t a dreadful performance. They are in the midst of a tricky run of fixtures having hosted Barcelona in their final game before the World Cup, losing 2-1 to the league leaders.
It’ll be interesting to see what approach the Osasuna board takes to the January transfer window. They’ve been a model of sensible planning and consistency in recent years but it does feel like they’ve an opportunity here to potentially gamble a bit by bringing in a couple of players who could make the difference in their push for Europe. They may also see the Copa del Rey as something they can really target having sealed an Extra Time win in Tarragona in midweek to progress into the Last 16.
Team News & Possible Lineups
Athletic Club
| INJURED | |
| DOUBTFUL | Martinez, Capa |
| BANNED |
Possible XI: Simon – Yuri, Yeray, Vivian, De Marcos – Vesga, Sancet – N. Williams, Muniain, I. Williams – Guruzeta (4-2-3-1)
Coach: Ernesto Valverde
Osasuna
| INJURED | Vidal |
| DOUBTFUL | Pena |
| BANNED | Unai Garcia |
Possible XI: Aitor Fernandez – Manu Sanchez, David Garcia, Aridane, Moreno – Torro, Moncayola, Oroz – Moi Gomez, Kike, Chimy (4-3-3)
Coach: Jagoba Arrasate
Score Prediction: Athletic Club 1-0 Osasuna
This is likely to be a tight game between two solid teams who don’t make many mistakes at the back. Of the two, Athletic have a little bit more spark still you feel and home advantage at San Mames may tilt this game in their favour.
PLEASE NOTE – Our LaLiga predictions are not betting tips! No profits are guaranteed if you’re using them to bet on Spanish football. If you are gambling, do so responsibly and never stake more than you can afford to lose. BeGambleAware.
