Form vs History: Osasuna and Athletic Club Set for El Sadar Showdown
Osasuna's impressive home form faces Athletic Club's historical success in Pamplona as both sides look to start 2026 with a bang in this high-intensity LaLiga clash.
Pamplona’s El Sadar stadium might be freezing this January, but temperatures will soar when two of Spanish football’s most combative sides lock horns in what promises to be a proper tasty encounter.
Current Form
Osasuna enter this clash with their tails up after stringing together some decent results at El Sadar. The rojillos have turned their gaff into something of a fortress this season, with recent home victories against Levante and Alavés helping them recover from a disappointing 3-1 defeat to Real Sociedad.
Lisci’s men will be keen to start the new year on the front foot, with only matches against Athletic and Girona remaining in the first half of their campaign. New signing Javi Galán could make his Osasuna debut, with the left-back likely to see some minutes according to the pre-match chatter.
Athletic’s Struggles
The visitors, meanwhile, are in a bit of a pickle. The Christmas break couldn’t have come at a better time for Ernesto Valverde’s side after they ended December with a defeat to Espanyol that left the San Mamés faithful absolutely fuming.
The gaffer’s been trying to reset the squad’s mentality during the break, and fair play to him – they need it. Athletic have lost half their league matches this season, which is proper pants for a club of their stature. They’ve also played an extra game compared to most teams due to their Supercopa commitments, adding extra pressure to pick up points whenever possible.
Battle to Watch
One fascinating subplot is the right-back showdown between Rosier and Areso. This will be Areso’s first match against his former employers after Athletic triggered his €12 million release clause last summer. Osasuna weren’t caught with their trousers down though, having already secured Rosier as his replacement back in May.
The French defender has featured in 10 of Osasuna’s 17 matches this season, while Areso has played in 15 of Athletic’s 18 league games – suggesting both have settled well at their respective clubs.
History vs Form
While Osasuna have been solid at home this term, history favours the Basque visitors. Athletic have a knack for getting results in Pamplona in recent years – including a memorable hat-trick from Sancet during one previous visit.
This one’s on a knife edge, but if you’re after a proper footballing battle to start your year, you’d be hard pressed to find a better match-up than this Saturday’s clash.