Barcelona is set to face Osasuna this Saturday with the aim of maintaining their unbeaten streak at the top of LaLiga. The team, managed by Hansi Flick, has made significant changes to their starting lineup, leaving out players such as Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Casadó, Balde, and Iñigo Martínez. Instead, Flick has introduced Ferran, Pau Víctor, Eric García, Gerard Martín, and Sergi Domínguez.
Barcelona has a strong record against Osasuna, having won their last six official matches against them. The team has not lost in Pamplona since February 2012, during which period they have recorded five victories and three draws.
This match presents an opportunity for Barcelona to make history, as a win would mark their eighth consecutive victory, equalling the club’s best start in LaLiga. However, they face a challenging opponent in Osasuna, who have played four home games this season, yielding only one draw against Leganés in their opening match. This makes Osasuna a formidable opponent, similar to Getafe, who pushed Barcelona to a narrow victory in a recent match.
Considering that a Madrid derby takes place on Sunday, which could impact Barcelona’s standing, Flick may choose to make further adjustments to his starting XI. The team is also preparing for a crucial Champions League match against Swiss side Young Boys on Tuesday.
This will be Iñaki Peña’s second start in goal due to Ter Stegen’s serious injury while the club deliberates over signing a new goalkeeper. Flick is also without Araújo, Bernal, De Jong, Dani Olmo, Gavi, Fermín, and Christensen. Meanwhile, Osasuna’s Vicente Moreno will be missing Jon Moncayola due to injury, alongside Kike Barja and Iker Muñoz, who are out for an extended period.
The starting lineups are as follows:
CA OSASUNA: Sergio Herrera, Areso, Catena, Boyomo, Bretones, Pablo Ibáñez, Torró, Rubén García, Aimar Oroz, Bryan Zaragoza, and Budimir.
FC BARCELONA: Iñaki Peña, Koundé, Cubarsí, Eric García, Pau Víctor, Pablo Torre, S. Domínguez, Gerard Martín, Pedri, Ferran Torres, and Lewandowski.
Referee: Cuadra Fernández.
Stadium: El Sadar.
Kick-off: 15:00 PM ET / 12:00 AM PT / 13:00 PM MX.