Osasuna sit in the lofty position of second in the La Liga standings after the opening round of matches, and they will face another huge test this weekend in the Spanish top-flight when they come up against Athletic Bilbao.
La Liga Preview
Osasuna made a pleasing start to the new La Liga season, as they look to improve on their positive campaign in 2022-23. The Spanish side will have their sights set on challenging for a place in Europe this term, and the early signs were good in their opening match of the season. Osasuna started quickly on the road against Celta Vigo, and deservedly took the lead after 24 minutes through Ruben Garcia Santos.
They controlled the game excellently despite having less possession than their rivals, but they scored the important second goal with just 16 minutes of the 90 remaining through Moi Gomez. Defensively, they were solid throughout that opening match, as they limited their rivals to just a single shot on target. It will be a tougher challenge against Bilbao this weekend, who will also have their sights set on a European challenge.
Bilbao started their 2023-24 campaign at home against Real Madrid, which always looked set to be a challenging assignment on paper. They were unable to get a foothold in the contest throughout the match, and conceded twice in the opening 36 minutes to allow the former champions to move into a commanding position.
Bilbao struggled against their heavyweight rivals, and they mustered just a single shot on target. However, this looks like a more winnable game on paper, and they will be expected to give a better account of themselves on the road this weekend against Osasuna.
Osasuna vs Athletic Bilbao Head to Head
Osasuna are unbeaten in their previous two against Bilbao, which includes a 2-0 win in this exact fixture last term. Their recent record against their rivals is also encouraging, as they have lost just twice in the previous seven encounters. However, that does include a 3-1 home loss in January 2022.
Osasuna vs Athletic Bilbao Prediction
Osasuna made a very pleasing start to the new season last weekend. This will be a more challenging fixture in front of their home fans, but it could be a valuable selection to side with the hosts, as they look to record a second straight win against Bilbao.
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