Match Pack: CA Osasuna vs Athletic Club (MD19)

Athletic Club kick off 2022 with a trip to nearby Pamplona, where they will take on CA Osasuna at El Sadar. It will also be the Lions’ first derby of the new year.

The two sides find themselves in similar positions in LaLiga Santander. Osasuna are 13th with 22 points, just two points behind Athletic, who are 10th with 24 points. Despite the fact Osasuna have found it difficult to win at home this term (one win, five draws and three losses), the Lions will go in expecting the toughest of tests.

Athletic have a busy month of January ahead, with clashes in LaLiga, the Copa Del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup. A win at El Sadar would be a perfect springboard to move up the LaLiga table and start the year off on the right foot.

Match Info
CA Osasuna (Matchday 19)

El Sadar (Pamplona)

LaLiga Santander 2021/22

Monday January 3, 21:00 CET

How to Watch

Team News

Plenty of COVID-19 related absences for Athletic, who go into the tie with a 20-man squad. Assistant coach Rubén Uría will lead the side in Marcelino’s stead as the gaffer recovers from coronavirus.

The players missing due to testing positive for COVID-19 are: Oier Zarraga, Raúl García, Unai Nuñez and Asier Villalibre, the latter is also still recovering from a hamstring issue.

Defenders Dani Vivian and Yuri Berchiche remain sidelined due to their respective injuries.

The new year also sees players returning to the fold after completing a period of self-isolation due to positive tests, including: Unai Simón, Iñigo Martínez and Álex Berenguer. Defender Peru Nolaskoain is also back after a sustained period out with an injury.

The coronavirus cases also mean that academy players Juan Artola and Luis Bilbao, who is making his first appearance in the senior squad, have been brought into the side.

Rubén Uría’s Comments

Assistant coach Rubén Uría, standing in for Marcelino after the boss tested positive for COVID-19, said the coaching staff are pleased with the side’s performances so far this season, singling out the players’ attitude towards work and the matches.

Catch up on the rest of the assistant coach’s press conference here.

The Opponents

League position: 13th

Form over last five LaLiga matches: LDDDL

Last match: 1-0 loss against Getafe CF (A)

Head coach: Jagoba Arrasate

The Biscay-born boss, who will not be present at El Sadar after testing positive for COVID-19, took over at Osasuna in June 2018. He led the side back into LaLiga Santander in his first season in charge and followed this up with 10th and 11th place finishes in the Primera División over the next two campaigns.

Arrasate started his professional managerial career at Real Sociedad -the club whose youth system he came through as a player- and he also had a three-year spell in the dugout at CD Numancia.

Previous Meetings
The Lions have played a total of 40 LaLiga fixtures against Osasuna at El Sadar, stretching all the way back to the 1935/36 season.

The head-to-head record in Pamplona hangs in Athletic’s favour, with 17 wins, 11 draws and 12 losses.

Over the last decade, Athletic have dominated LaLiga clashes between the sides. From the eight matches played since 2009/10, Los Rojiblancos have won eight, drawn once and lost twice.

Athletic’s most recent victory at El Sadar came in the 2018/19 campaign, strikers Iñaki Williams and Kenan Kodro led the Lions to a 1-2 victory as they ended Osasuna’s record streak of 31 matches unbeaten at home.

4,000 Matches
Monday’s clash with CA Osasuna marks an extraordinary milestone for Athletic Club, as it will be the 4,000th official fixture in the history of the Club.

Those 4,00 matches include eight LaLiga titles, 24 Copas del Rey, three Spanish Super Cups and two European finals. On top of that, since the first official match in 1902, the Club has constructed two iconic stadiums, built a world-renowned youth academy and stayed true to our essence thanks to a unique philosophy.

None of that would have been possible without the support of fans from all over the world. Eskerrik asko, Athleticzales!