Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the La Liga match.
Barcelona have started the season brilliantly, leading the championship by a wide margin and firmly in the hunt for the title. At the same time, Osasuna have surprisingly taken the seventh spot in the table, aiming for a place in European competitions. Can they take points from still-unbeaten Barcelona?
Osasuna
Osasuna have picked up quite a few points at the start of the season, pleasantly surprising their fans. What's the secret to their success? Simply put, a favourable schedule. They have played against a top-five team only once. Moreover, when looking at their goal-scoring statistics, it's clear that the team has had a bit of luck. With an xG of 5.5, they have managed to score eight goals. However, their defence is struggling; Osasuna have conceded 11 goals with an xGA of 8.3. Even weakened Girona managed to score four unanswered goals against them.
Barcelona
Barcelona, led by Hansi Flick, are coming to El Sadar. They have had an excellent start to the season, not dropping any points in both La Liga and the Champions League. In La Liga, they have scored 23 goals with 19.2 xG and conceded five goals with an xGA of 7.2. The only downside to the start of the season is the numerous injuries to key players, particularly the loss of Marc-André ter Stegen. Playing without their main goalkeeper might be challenging, but in matches against weaker opponents, where Barcelona will dominate possession (averaging over 60% possession), this should not be an issue.
Osasuna vs Barcelona Prediction
The history between these opponents doesn’t bring much hope to Osasuna fans. The last time Osasuna took points from the Catalans was in December 2021, and their last victory came back in July 2020. Other than that, Barcelona have been superior in their last six encounters. The current gap between the teams' levels is too wide to expect a close match. Barcelona will easily win this match.
