Barcelona edged closer to La Liga glory last weekend, and can, in fact, clinch the title if they beat Osasuna on Saturday night and results elsewhere go their way.
Barça would also need neighbors Espanyol to do them a favor against Real Madrid on Sunday night. Should another Madrid slip-up follow a Barça triumph in Pamplona, then Hansi Flick’s side will be confirmed as back-to-back La Liga champions.
They’ve impressively won nine league encounters in succession since they were stunned by Girona in February, and Madrid’s failure to catch fire at a critical juncture means they’re 11 points back from the summit with five games remaining.
Osasuna were comfortably beaten 2–0 in the reverse fixture, but Flick’s Blaugrana lost 4–2 at the Estadio El Sadar last season. Alessio Lisci’s side are excellent at home, and in European contention as a result.
After claiming a last-gasp victory over Sevilla last time out, ending a three-game winless slide, Osasuna are just two points behind Getafe, who Barcelona beat last week, in sixth.
Much of the discourse in Catalonia is focusing on Barcelona’s plans for the summer, with the overwhelming majority rendering their title triumph inevitable.
It’s set to be another trophy-laden campaign for Flick’s side, but panging regrets from their Champions League exit at the hands of Atlético Madrid won’t dissipate for a while. They’ll linger like a bad smell and will somewhat dampen the mood after they get their hands on another La Liga trophy.
That moment of glory might not come even if they prevail this weekend, with Real Madrid facing an out-of-form Espanyol team playing for very little.
Prediction: Osasuna 1–1 Barcelona
The homegrown Iker Benito remains out of action with a long-term knee injury. He ruptured his ACL back in October, and won’t be available again until the start of next season at the earliest.
Victor Muñoz looked poised to be a potential wildcard for Spain at this summer’s World Cup, but a calf injury has thrust his selection into doubt. The 22-year-old forward is not available this weekend, which is a big blow for the hosts.
However, their leading scorer, Ante Budimir, is fit and available. He’s struck 16 times in La Liga this term, and Osasuna’s hopes of playing in Europe next season almost solely rely on whether his proficiency is maintained in May.
Osasuna predicted lineup vs. Barcelona (4-2-3-1): Herrera; Rosier, Boyomo, Catena, Galan; Moncayola, I. Muñoz; García, Oroz, Barja; Budimir.
Barcelona have received a couple of timely injury boosts, with Raphinha returning to training ahead of Saturday’s game. However, Flick almost certainly won’t start the prolific Brazilian in Pamplona. He’ll want to have Raphinha fully fit for next week’s Clásico.
Barça know they won’t have Lamine Yamal for the remainder of the season due to a hamstring injury.
Defender Andreas Christensen is available for the visitors, while burgeoning young midfielder Marc Bernal is also back with the group and should be an option for the Clásico.
To mitigate the suspended Jules Koundé’s absence, Flick will likely turn to the versatile Eric García at right back. Captain Ronald Araújo is another alternative if João Cancelo is preferred down the left.
Barcelona predicted lineup vs. Getafe (4-2-3-1): J. García; E. García, Cubarsí, Martín, Cancelo; De Jong, Pedri; Bardghji, Olmo, López; Torres.
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TV/Live Stream |
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United States |
ESPN Deportes, ESPN Select, fuboTV, ESPN App |
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Disney+ Premium |
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Canada |
TSN+ |
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Mexico |
Sky Sports Mexico, Sky+ |
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