Match Pack: Athletic Club vs CA Osasuna (Copa round of 16)

After five consecutive away fixtures, the Lions are finally back at San Mames and they return home with a tough Copa round-of-16 match against CA Osasuna.

Victor Moreno's Rojillos have suffered a recent dip in form, drawing four and losing two of their last six LaLiga matches, while Ernesto Valverde's Lions will be looking for a first win in normal time this year.

Always an intense fixture, we're set for a great evening as two Basque rivals battle it out for a place in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals.
 

Match Info
Athletic Club vs CA Osasuna

San Mames, Bilbao

2024/25 Copa del Rey Round of 16

Thursday January 16, 19:30 CET

Click this link to purchase tickets. 
 

Team News
Ernesto Valverde has named a 24-man squad for the clash in Bilbao. 
 

Valverde's Comments
 

🎙️ Ernesto Valverde previews #AthleticOsasuna 🏆

"It's a one-off match, both teams will have to go for it. It will be tense but the prize is right there." #AthleticClub 🦁 pic.twitter.com/QAiMdfqJjV

— Athletic Club (@Athletic_en) January 15, 2025

The Opponents 

Club Atlético Osasuna was founded on 24 October 1920, and played its first football match on the same day. 

Osasuna, along with Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and Athletic Club, are one of the  four remaining membership-based clubs left in LaLiga, meaning they are not a publicly-sold or privately-owne entity but rather their fans vote for a president and board of directors every four years.

Los Rojillos have once qualified for the Champions League, being knocked out by Hamburger SV in a group stage play-off in 2006/07. They have played in the UEFA Cup/Europa League four times, reaching the semi-finals in 2006/07 and last season they were knocked out of the UEFA Conference League in the play-off round after a 3-4 aggregate loss to Club Brugge.

The Pamplona-based side have reached the Copa del Rey final twice, losing on both occasions: in 2004/05 to Real Betis and in 2023/24 against Real Madrid.

 

Copa 2024/25: Los Rojillos have needed to dig deep to get to the round of 16. They thrashed Chiclana CF 0-5 in the first round, fought back from 2-0 down to defeat AD Ceuta 2-3 in the second round and they beat UD Tenerife 1-2 in the round of 32.

Their top scorer in the tournament so far is Raúl García with three goals in three appearances.

 

Previous Meetings: Los Leones and Los Rojillos are regular Copa foes, having met in a total of four double-legged ties. The first Copa clash came in the 1955/56 quarter-finals with Athletic winning 4-1 at San Mames and securing a place in the semi-finals thanks to a 2-2 draw in Pamplona.

The Zurigorri emerged victorious again in the 1960/61 round of 32. Athletic came back from a 1-0 away loss to win 2-0 in Bilbao and progress to the next round.

In 2008/09, the Lions followed up a 1-1 draw in Pamplona with a 2-0 victory at San Mames to qualify for the quarter-finals.

Athletic's only knockout defeat to Osasuna came recently in the 2022/23 campaign. An Abde Ezzalzouli saw them pick up a 1-0 win at El Sadar before managing a 1-1 draw in extra-time in the the return leg. Los Leones haven't lost in a Copa match since then.

 

How to watch

Check out our TV guide to make sure you catch the match no matter where you are.