Hostile rivals from the Basque Country, “Osasuna” and “Athletic” Bilbao, will meet for the fourth time this calendar year, with both teams still vying for a place in European football next season. It took extra time to determine the winner after two Copa del Rey semifinal matches earlier this year, and since Real Madrid ultimately won the tournament by defeating Osasuna, finishing in the top seven remains the only remaining path to qualify for continental competitions. The seventh consecutive defeat of the “blaugranas” to “Atletico” (0-3) last weekend resulted in them falling behind Sevilla and now trailing today’s visitors by three points, but there is no reason to panic. After a goalless draw in the first round, Jacobo Arrasate’s team has a chance to take the lead based on the advantage in head-to-head matches. Today, Gomez, Vidal, and Brasanac will be unable to play, with the latter suffering from a knee injury.
Athletic demonstrated their intention to hold on to the sixth position by scoring in the early minutes of both halves in their home game against “Celta,” which they won 2-1. Manager Ernesto Valverde was delighted that the club can “breathe” after not dropping vital points but cautioned his team not to become overly relaxed after their unbeaten streak of four matches. The visitors still have more away victories than home victories since the World Cup break, so returning to an away game should not cause any particular concerns. Their recent history with “Osasuna” may contribute to Valverde approaching the game cautiously, as his team has yet to defeat “Osasuna” in any competition during Arrasate’s tenure. Currently, Bilbao has 14 wins and eight draws against Osasuna, totaling 50 points and securing the seventh position in the league table. Unavailable for today’s match are Alvarez, Morcillo, Martinez, and Herrera, who has a muscle injury. More prediction for today games football can be obtained from the link provided.
