Barcelona need three more wins. Three. And the title is theirs.
Hansi Flick's side go to Estadio El Sadar on Saturday evening sitting 13 points clear of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga, having won nine consecutive league matches, won every single home league game this season, and beaten Atletico Madrid 2-1 at the Metropolitano in midweek thanks to Fermin Lopez. They are not just chasing a title. They are sprinting towards it.
But there is a significant problem. Lamine Yamal is out for the rest of the season after picking up a hamstring injury against Celta Vigo on April 22. The 18-year-old who has carried so much of Barcelona's attacking threat all season is gone. Sixteen goals, twelve assists, the whole magical campaign — all on hold until the World Cup. Raphinha has just returned to full training after his own hamstring problem but is being managed carefully ahead of next week's El Clasico. He may get a few minutes from the bench but he will not start.
That is two of Barcelona's three best attacking players unavailable or barely available. Lewandowski, Ferran Torres and Olmo will have to carry this attack. And Osasuna at home are unbeaten in their last 10 games. They beat Barcelona at El Sadar last season. They will smell blood.
This is genuinely the most vulnerable Barcelona side of the season walking into a hostile, intense ground with a depleted attacking unit. The title is still nearly secured but the path there just got considerably harder.
Osasuna vs Barcelona: Key Stats
Head-to-head: Barcelona 20 wins, Osasuna 3 wins, 3 draws in their last 26 meetings
Barcelona: Won their last 9 La Liga matches in a row
Barcelona: Won every single home La Liga game this season
Barcelona: Won 8 of their last 9 matches against Osasuna in all competitions
Barcelona: Scored at least 2 goals in 23 of their last 27 meetings with Osasuna
Barcelona: Scored in every one of their last 53 La Liga matches
Barcelona: 85 points from 33 games, 13 clear at the top of La Liga
Osasuna: Unbeaten in their last 10 home games
Ante Budimir: Osasuna's top scorer with 16 league goals
Photo Credit (Getty Images)
What to Expect
Osasuna will set up to be physical, organised, and frustrating. That is what Lisci's side does best. They press in midfield, they stay compact, and they look for set pieces and quick counter attacks to hurt better opponents. Ante Budimir is on 16 league goals and is exactly the kind of physical centre-forward that can give Cubarsi and the Barcelona centre backs problems in the air. Ruben Garcia provides creativity from deep with five league assists and the El Sadar crowd on a Saturday night with a depleted Barcelona side in town will be absolutely electric. Osasuna do not need to win this game to satisfy their season but they would absolutely love to make it uncomfortable for Barcelona on the way to the title.
Barcelona are dealing with a genuine attacking crisis at the worst possible time. Yamal is gone for the season. Raphinha is fit enough to be on the bench but not to start. Christensen, Jofre Torrents and Marc Bernal are all still injured. Kounde is suspended. Flick will likely turn to Ferran Torres and Roony Bardghji on the wings with Lewandowski leading the line and Olmo or Fermin Lopez behind him. Pedri remains the most important player in this team and will need to be exceptional to control the midfield against Osasuna's aggressive press. Barcelona are still walking into this game as overwhelming favourites because the gap in quality is significant — but with this lineup, they look genuinely beatable in a way they have not all season.
Predicted Lineups
Osasuna (4-3-3) 🔴 Herrera; Bretones, Catena, Boyomo, Cruz; Munoz, Torro, Moncayola; Garcia, Budimir, Oroz
Barcelona (4-3-3) 🔵🔴 Joan Garcia; Cancelo, Cubarsi, Eric Garcia, Martin; Pedri, De Jong, Olmo; Bardghji, Lewandowski, Ferran Torres
Players to Watch
Robert Lewandowski — Twelve La Liga goals this season and now the undisputed leader of this Barcelona attack with Yamal out and Raphinha not fit to start. The 36-year-old will need to be at his clinical best because he is now the main man Barcelona are leaning on for goals in the title run-in.
Pedri — The midfield engine that runs everything Barcelona do with the ball. He has been arguably the most consistent performer in this Barcelona team all season and his ability to break Osasuna's pressing structure with one quick pass will be the difference between a comfortable win and a stressful evening.
Ante Budimir — Sixteen league goals and Osasuna's most reliable goal threat. Physical, intelligent in the box, and dangerous from set pieces. With Barcelona missing key defensive cover, Budimir has a genuine chance to hurt them in the air. If Osasuna are going to score, it almost certainly comes through him.
Ferran Torres — Suddenly thrust into a central role he has not consistently held this season. He has six league goals and the experience of playing for Barcelona in big games. With Yamal out, Ferran's ability to deliver quality from wide areas becomes essential. He needs to step up.
Prediction
Prediction: Osasuna 1-2 Barcelona
The numbers point towards Barcelona but the context demands respect for Osasuna. Nine consecutive La Liga wins. Every home game won. Scoring in 53 straight league matches. Eight wins in their last nine meetings with Osasuna. The form gap is enormous. But Yamal's absence is genuinely significant and Raphinha not starting takes another major weapon out of the equation. Osasuna will make this physical and uncomfortable and Budimir will likely score from a set piece or a cross. Barcelona's quality through Lewandowski and Pedri is still too much for Osasuna to contain entirely though, and even a depleted Barcelona side has the depth to find a winning goal late on. A narrow away win that puts Barcelona one step closer to wrapping up the La Liga title — but a closer game than the table suggests.
