Atletico Madrid travels to Pamplona to face Osasuna in a La Liga clash that carries significant stakes at both ends of the table. The hosts are still chasing a European berth but are not mathematically safe from relegation, while the visitors aim to break a poor league run that has seen them lose five of their last seven matches.
Between Copa del Rey and Champions League commitments, La Liga has slipped away for Atletico. With just three games remaining, Diego Simeone’s side wants to finish the season on a high note after a stretch in which they have lost five of their last seven league fixtures—most recently a defeat to Celta Vigo on Saturday—and won only twice, against Athletic Club and Valencia.
Adding to the challenges, Atletico’s injury list continues to grow. Against Celta, Molina and Gimenez were added to the casualty list, forcing Simeone to rely on less regular starters. Osasuna, meanwhile, finds itself in a precarious position: still with a chance to qualify for Europe, but not yet guaranteed survival. A win over the rojiblancos would all but secure their top-flight status.
Simeone reflected: “Watching yesterday’s match, I thought: ‘We eliminated Barcelona twice, my God!'”
For Osasuna, the painful defeat to Levante has left them shaken as they prepare to host Simeone’s team. The Navarrese side aims to regain their usual home solidity and stay in the hunt for continental competition next season.
Coach Alessio Lisci will again be without Victor Muñoz, one of Osasuna’s standout performers this season. The midfielder’s absence adds extra intrigue given his Real Madrid youth background, and he joins suspended goalkeeper Sergio Herrera on the sidelines. Herrera was involved in a costly mistake during the previous match that complicated Osasuna’s European ambitions.
