Key Takeaways
- Roony Bardghji is set to make his second consecutive start for Barcelona as he covers for the injured Lamine Yamal.
- The Catalan giants will move one victory away from securing the La Liga championship if they defeat Osasuna at El Sadar.
- Osasuna remain in the hunt for European qualification despite the absence of key winger Victor Munoz.
Barcelona travel to El Sadar on Saturday evening for a clash that kicks off at 21:00 CEST. The visitors know that three points will put them within a single win of claiming the La Liga title.
Hansi Flick’s side are in excellent form. They have won their last nine league matches. The German coach has welcomed Raphinha and Marc Bernal back from injury this week. However, young star Lamine Yamal remains unavailable. Defenders Andreas Christensen and Jules Kounde will also miss the match. Christensen is injured, while Kounde serves a suspension.
Teenage winger Roony Bardghji is expected to start on the right flank. This will be his second start in a row. He replaces Yamal in the attack. Flick faces a decision at centre-forward. Either Robert Lewandowski or Ferran Torres will lead the line. Eric Garcia should start in defence to cover for Kounde’s absence.
The rest of the Barcelona line-up is likely to stay the same. This is the team that beat Getafe 2-0 last weekend. Gavi, Pedri, Fermin Lopez and Dani Olmo will all start in midfield.
Osasuna sit ninth in the table. They are chasing a place in European competitions next season. The hosts are just two points behind sixth-placed Getafe. They earned a dramatic late win against Sevilla last week. They also hold an eight-point gap above the relegation zone.
The home side will be without Victor Munoz. The winger is injured. Raul Moro is likely to replace him on the left. Ante Budimir will play as the main striker. Ruben Garcia and Aimar Oroz will provide support from behind him.
In the centre of the pitch, Iker Munoz is expected to start alongside Jon Moncayola. Lucas Torro may have to settle for a place on the bench. Osasuna have won only two of their last eight matches. However, they have lost just once in their previous five games.