Match Pack: CA Osasuna vs Athletic Club (Copa SF - 1st Leg)

An important night. CA Osasuna and Athletic Club go head to head at El Sadar for the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final encounter. Los Rojillos and Los Rojiblancos will look to take control of the tie and take a step towards a place in the final. The first leg takes place at El Sadar on Wednesday night (21:00 CET) and the tie will be settled in Bilbao on Tuesday April 4 (22:00 CET).

What's more, this is a fourth consecutive Copa semi-final for the Lions, a feat we have achieved before in three other periods during our 125-year history. Once again Athletic are within touching distance of that long-awaited, much-desired 25th Copa trophy.

But Osasuna will be tough opposition. Jagoba Arrasate's team, eighth in LaLiga, are an intense side and are just one point and one place above Athletic in the standings. 

Match Info
CA Osasuna vs Athletic Club

El Sadar (Pamplona)

Copa del Rey 2022/23 (Semi-finals)

Wednesday March 1, 21:00 CET

Kick-off Times
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Team News
Ernesto Valverde has named a 23-man squad for the Copa semi-final. Winger Nico Williams is back in the squad as is Iñigo Martínez after a long lay-off. However, Ander Herrera, Jon Morcillo and Unai Simón are set to miss the match with their respective injuries.

Ernesto has called up goalkeeper Ibon Ispizua and forward Adu Ares from Bilbao Athletic as cover.

Valverde's Comments
Catch up with what the gaffer had to say.

The Opponents

Club Atlético Osasuna was founded on 24 October 1920, playing its first football match on the same day. It is one of only four professional clubs in Spain, along with Real Madrid CF, FC Barcelona and Athletic Club, which is not a Public Limited Sports Company (Sociedad Anónima Deportiva), meaning that the ownership of the club rests with its Members. 

Los Rojillos' best performance in the Copa del Rey was a runners-up finish in the 2004/05 campaign when they lost against Betis in the final after beating Atlético Madrid in the semi-finals. This will be the sixth semi-final in their history, joining matches against Sevilla in 1935, Barça in 1936 and 1988, and Recreativo Huelva in 2002. All of them ended in defeat for the Pamplona-based outfit.

The current side, coached by Jagoba Arrasate, have reached the last four after overcoming CD Fuentes, CD Arnedo, Nàstic de Tarragona, Real Betis - on penalties - and Sevilla FC in a quarter-final tie at El Sadar. 

Previous Meetings
These two sides have drawn each other three times before in the Copa del Rey, with the Lions going through to the next round on each occasion, but this is their first meeting at this stage.

The last Copa del Rey duel between the two sides was in the last 16 in 2008/09. That time, they drew 1-1 in the first leg at El Reyno de Navarra (El Sadar's name at the time), while in the second leg Athletic won 2-0 at San Mamés with goals from Igor Gabilondo and Ion Vélez.

In the 1960/61 season, they met in the round of 32. After losing 1-0 in Pamplona, Los Leones went through with a 2-0 win at San Mamés. Finally, in 1955/56, Athletic won the first leg 4-2 in Bilbao and then drew 2-2 at El Sadar.