La Liga Preview: Osasuna – Atlético Madrid

Atlético Madrid travel to Pamplona this weekend looking to pick up their second straight win in the league whilst attempting to inflict a fifth consecutive defeat on hapless Osasuna. Los Rojillos are the only side yet to win in La Liga this season and they will have their work cut out against a near full strength Atlético side…

Pamplona Woes

Osasuna have rarely made the headlines this season but when they have it has usually been for all the wrong reasons. The sacking of José Ángel Ziganda just six matches into the new campaign certainly raised eyebrows around Spain, especially bearing in mind the perilous form of the team last year. On that occasion they finished just a single point above the relegation zone and whilst sacking the coach in the summer, or at Christmas, might have made sense, this decision appears to have been very much on a whim.

The man bought in to replace Ziganda, José Antonio Camacho, has faired little better than his predecessor and in fact the worrying statistic they both have in common is that neither has seen Osasuna win a game this season. All four points they hold so far have come from draws and even more concerning for all associated with the club is that they have scored just three goals in nine league matches. Their ‘goals for’ column is by far the worst in La Liga and the frustration is that the next column, ‘goals against’, is one of the best in the league!

Los Rojillos have conceded just nine goals this year, a statistic that only Sevilla, Villarreal and Barcelona can better, and even then only by the single goal. If they can continue that defence solidarity together then it is hard to see them not eventually picking up points but at the same time goals just aren’t coming from anywhere. The men entrusted with doing the business, Javier Portillo, Kike Sola and Santiago Ezquerro, have just two between them and if they don’t start finding the back of the net soon Osasuna will be in serious trouble.

Opposing Fortunes

Ironically enough their opponents at the Estadio Reyno De Navarra this weekend have nearly the exact opposite problem, albeit with a few more points and games won. Atlético Madrid looked as though they had solved the defensive curse that had for so long plagued them but lo and behold it has returned, and returned with a bang. Bar Numancia, Sporting Gijón and Athletic Bilbao the Champions League side have conceded the most amount of goals in the league so far and the only saving grace is that, unlike Osasuna, they have found the net at the other end. The nineteen goals they have bagged makes them the fourth highest scorers to date but there is little doubt Javier Aguirre would sacrifice that statistic if it meant they would have let less in.

It is not that they don’t have decent players at the back because in Johnny Heitinga, Tomas Ujfalusi, Luis Perea and Antonio López, they most certainly do have a more than capable back-line. The problem is that when they don the red and white kit they seem to transform, from international-class defenders into almost Sunday league players at times. Against Barcelona they were absolutely torn apart and whilst there is no doubting the skill and talent of Lionel Messi, Andrés Iniesta et al, it did not go unnoticed that Ujfalusi and Heitinga looked as though they had never played together before.

The good news for Atlético is that their run against the big four clubs is over now though and they can finally start to rebuild a season which started so well. Against Mallorca last weekend they managed to get a win thanks to two Sergio Agüero goals and it would be no surprise if they need some more magic to break down Osasuna this Sunday. When these two sides met last time in Pamplona it was the home side who ran out comfortable victors by a 3-1 scoreline and whilst that seems highly unlikely this time it will still not be a comfortable match for the visitors.

FORM GUIDE

Osasuna

Nov 2 Espanyol 1-0 Osasuna (La Liga)

Oct 29 Getafe 0-0 Osasuna (Copa Del Rey)

Oct 25 Osasuna 0-2 Real Betis (La Liga)

Oct 19 Sporting Gijón 2-1 Osasuna (La Liga)

Oct 5 Osasuna 0-1 Racing Santander (La Liga)

Atlético Madrid

Nov 4 Liverpool 1-1 Atlético Madrid (Champions League)

Nov 1 Atlético Madrid 2-0 Mallorca (La Liga)

Oct 29 Orihuela 0-1 Atlético Madrid (Copa Del Rey)

Oct 26 Villarreal 4-4 Atlético Madrid (La Liga)

Oct 22 Atlético Madrid 1-1 Liverpool (Champions League)

TEAM NEWS

Osasuna

José Antonio Camacho has a fair few injury worries this weekend as Ludovic Delporte and Walter Pandiani fight to be fit for the game whilst Nacho Monreal, Xavier Margairaz and Eduardo Fernandes, 'Dady', are almost certainly out.

This may mean he will start Czech international Jaroslav Plasil for the first time who, under Ziganda, was a first team regular but has not yet played for the new coach.

Probable Line-Up (4-5-1): Roberto – Azpilicueta, Miguel Flaño, Roversio, Oier – Nekounam, Juanfran, Ezquerro, Plasil, Vadocz - Portillo

Atlético Madrid

Giourkas Seitaridis is the only doubt for Atlético Madrid this weekend so Javier Aguirre will more than likely pick his strongest side, especially bearing in mind it is only the Copa Del Rey to follow in mid-week.

Sergio Agüero could be rested from the start but more than likely he will play and Aguirre will take him off he Atlético get a comfortable lead whilst the midfield should be the same as that which played in the Champions League.

Probable Line-Up (4-4-2): Leo Franco – Perea, Ujfalusi, Heitinga, López – Maxi Rodríguez, Raúl García, Assuncao, Simao – Agüero, Forlán

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Osasuna

Whilst the defenders have been the best players for Osasuna this season they will be desperate to see the front men finally perform and Javier Portillo is the striker all eyes will be on. The ex-Real Madrid player would love to score against Atlético and if he gets the support and service that he needs he should be a threat to a back-line which is always prone to giving the opponents chances.

Atlético Madrid

Diego Forlán has been in the shadow of Sergio Agüero so far this season but it surely won’t be too long before the Uruguayan striker starts to score the goals himself. Last year his partnership with Agüero was the driving force behind the success and he will be keen to start matching his partner goal-for-goal. Against Osasuna it might need a moment of magic or a poachers finish to win the game and Forlán is capable of providing either.

PREDICTION

Osasuna might have only conceded nine goals this season but Villarreal aside they haven’t yet faced an attack as threatening as the one they will meet this Sunday. Atlético will be desperate to win this game to get their league campaign back on track and unless the home side manage to grab a goal and defend then it is very difficult to see anything other than a win for the Champions League team.


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