When Osasuna plays host to Valencia on Friday night at Estadio El Sadar, the home team will be gunning for a place in the top four of the La Liga standings.
The team playing at home is presently in sixth place in the league, two points behind fourth-placed Real Betis.
Valencia is in ninth place, having picked up 10 points during the first seven matches of the 2022-23 season.
Our Match Preview: Osasuna vs Valencia
Since their return to the top level, Osasuna has placed 10th, 11th, and 10th in the Spanish Primera Division.
However, they did finish in the top seven in 2011–12, and they will be looking to perhaps qualify for Europe this season. Los Rojillos have gotten off to a great start in the 2022-23 season, with a record of four wins, one draw, and two losses from their first six matches.
With 13 points, they are currently in sixth place in the league, just two points behind fourth-placed Real Betis and three behind Athletic Bilbao in third. Osasuna is coming into this game on a roll, having won seven points in their past four games.
They most recently played and drew 1-1 with reigning champions Real Madrid. Before this meeting at Bernabeu, Los Blancos had won all nine of their games this season across all competitions.
But the visitors earned a point thanks to a goal from Kike Garcia, who equalized Vinicius Junior’s opening.
In April, Jagoba Arrasate’s squad won 2-1 over Valencia, however, the match took place at Mestalla, while Los Che prevailed 4-1 in the equivalent matchup the previous season.
As for Valencia, they come into this game in fine form as well, having won seven points in their past four games to improve to ninth place in the standings.
The last league match for Los Che at home was a 3-0 victory over Celta Vigo before the international break, and they earned a point on the road against Espanyol last weekend.
Eray Comert’s 96th-minute equalizer was the difference between victory and defeat for Gennaro Gattuso’s side, as the Catalan outfit had taken the lead early in the second half thanks to goals from Gabriel Paulista.
However, the hosts responded with goals from Joselu and Sergi Darder, and the game ended in a 1-1 draw.
Even though Valencia will not be playing in Europe this season, the month of October will still be a busy one for the club as they will face Elche, Sevilla, Mallorca, and Barcelona in the league.
Six-time Spanish champions want to return to the upper half of La Liga this season after placing ninth, 13th, and ninth after finishing in fourth place in 2018–19.
Our Team news: Osasuna vs Valencia
As a result of the red card that David Garcia received in the last match against Real Madrid, Osasuna will be without him, and this may provide an opportunity for Manu Sanchez to take his place in the defense.
Kike Saverio is still questionable to play due to tendon pain, but Ezequiel Avila has completed his suspension and will be available for selection on Friday night. Kike Saverio’s status will be updated as the situation develops.
However, it is anticipated that head coach Arrasate will retain faith with the bulk of the squad that came to the field for the first whistle against Real Madrid. Kike Garcia is set to lead the line in a 4-5-1 system.
Real Madrid is projected to win. Regarding Valencia, Jaume Domenech is still out for an extended period due to injury, while Marcos Andre is unable to play due to the red card he received in the most recent match against Espanyol.
The visitors are in fine health, with the most of players who started against Espanyol likely to maintain their positions, except for Yunus Musah, who is scheduled to undergo a late fitness test to assess whether or not he will be available.
However, Justin Kluivert may replace Samu Castillejo in the starting lineup for the front three, where he would join Edinson Cavani and Samuel Lino. Castillejo might be sent to the bench instead.
Our Prediction: Osasuna 2-1 Valencia
Because both teams are coming into this match in good shape, there is every reason to believe that it will be a highly exciting contest. The odds are in favor of Osasuna picking up another three points to move into the Champions League slots, even though Valencia has more than enough ability to pick up a favorable result in this match.
