Barcelona return to action in a match that could shape their season, with key returns and key absentees. Osasuna will host Barcelona in Pamplona tomorrow; if the Catalans can seal 3 points from this match, then they could almost win their 29th league title, and it will be a confidence boost ahead of El Clásico.
Injury concerns and key absentees
Barcelona will miss Lamine Yamal in this match due to his hamstring injury, and Kounde will be suspended because of 5th yellow card this season.
Positive boost with returning players
But key players like Raphinha, Bernal, and Christensen are back in team training, which is a major plus. In a recent press conference, Flick confirmed that Bernal could play in the Osasuna game but was not sure about the match fitness of Raphinha and Christensen, but as per recent reports, there are chances that Raphinha will play a few minutes.
Osasuna pose serious threat at home
Osasuna is sitting in 9th position with hope of beating Barca in their match, as they want to climb to 6th position for a UEFA Conference League qualifier spot.
Their wingers are really dangerous in transition, and they will play with Budimir, who is a very experienced striker. In the 2024-25 La Liga season, they have already beaten the Catalan giants by a 4-2 margin, so they will give a good fight against Barcelona, so there is no chance that Barca will get an easy 3 points.
Tactical approach and mindset
Barcelona is going to start without Raphinha on the left wing, but in the last game against Getafe, they proved they could win tough away in the last lap of La Liga even without Raphinha and Yamal on the pitch; that match was a huge boost for them.
Flick stated that the team's aim is to win tomorrow with the same approach that they put against Getafe, which is staying calm and waiting for the opportunity to break the opposition with a pass and staying calm under their pressure.
Predicted lineup
Joan Garcia
Cubarsi Araujo Martin Balde
Pedri Gavi Fermin
Olmo Ferran Roony
Expected impact substitutes
We can expect Rashford, De Jong, Bernal, and maybe Raphinha in the second half. Flick will prefer to rotate players wisely in this match as El Clásico awaits after a week.
Match prediction
This will not be an easy fixture for Barça, but our pick is Barça will win by the margin of 1 goal against Osasuna.
