Osasuna Faces Real Betis in Crucial La Liga Clash

CA Osasuna‘s head coach, Vicente Moreno, addressed the press on Friday ahead of their La Liga match against Real Betis, scheduled for Saturday at El Sadar Stadium. This match marks the tenth round of the league and presents Osasuna with an opportunity to secure their fifth home victory of the season. “The most important thing is the return of competition after almost fifteen days without a match. It felt long. Our main aim is to play well and, based on that, to win and maintain consistency,” he commented.

The coach also provided updates on the team roster. “Iker [Muñoz] is almost ready. Hopefully, he will be fully fit by next week. Similarly, Kike [Barja]’s status depends on perception, but they’ve both trained and might be available,” Moreno stated.

Discussing their opponents, Moreno acknowledged Real Betis as formidable adversaries, highlighting their recent European competition experience and quality players. The absence of Giovani Lo Celso due to injury was noted, but Moreno emphasized Betis’s depth, mentioning players like Fornals and Iker Losada as solid alternatives.

The match will take place at Osasuna’s El Sadar, where the team has shown impressive form, having defeated top teams like Barcelona. This has contributed to their standing in fifth place with 15 points—just two points behind Villarreal and leading Athletic Club by one in the European qualification zone.

Real Betis, managed by Manuel Pellegrini, faces challenges of their own. They are tenth in the league with 12 points and are dealing with significant injuries, including those to Lo Celso, Marc Roca, Sabaly, William Carvalho, and Isco. Recent setbacks, including losses to Varsovia and in the Gran Derbi, underscore their need to improve in their upcoming matches.

Historically, Real Betis has the upper hand in their La Liga encounters, winning 34 of their past 64 matchups against Osasuna. However, Osasuna holds a home advantage, having won 17 of their 32 home games against Betis.

Team line-ups for the match include Osasuna’s Herrera, Areso, Catena, Boyomo, Bretones, Ibáñez, Torró, Oroz, Ruben García, Budimir, and Bryan Zaragoza. Betis is expected to field Rui Silva, Bellerin, Llorente, Bartra, Perraud, Cardoso, Fornals, Altimira, Chimy Ávila, Vítor Roque, and Abde.