Osasuna – Mallorca. Match Preview and Prediction

May 14, 2024. 20:30. Pamplona. El Sadar.
La Liga 2023-24. 36th round

Osasuna (Pamplona) – Mallorca

Where to watch: MEGOGO, Volia TV

Suspended: Pablo Ibanez – Martin Valiente, Vedat Muriki

Injured: David Garcia, Kike Barja (both – Osasuna)

Doubtful: Unai Garcia, Moncayola, Ante Budimir (all – Osasuna)

At risk of suspension: Ante Budimir – Antonio Raillo, Omar Mascarell, Sergi Darder

Osasuna

The Pamplona team is one of the few teams currently without any tournament tasks and can play out the season for their own pleasure. Ahead of ‘Rojillos’ are three matches, with the closest one being the easiest. So, I won’t be surprised if Jagoba Arrasate sets up his players properly and tries to secure the last victory as the head coach of Osasuna, a position he will leave at the end of the season. Next – an away trip to ‘Metropolitano’ to face ‘Atletico’ and a home match against ‘Villarreal’, who still have hopes of catching the last train of the European cup.

‘Rojillos’ have long stopped playing at the peak of their abilities, and a series of four consecutive defeats is the best confirmation of that. It started with a home loss to ‘Valencia’, after which their fight for a European cup spot essentially ended. By the end of April, the Pamplona team suffered a defeat against ‘Rayo Vallecano’ (1-2) in Madrid and disgracefully lost 0-3 away to ‘Granada’, and began May with a 0-2 defeat at home to ‘Betis’ at the ‘El Sadar’. There were assumptions that Osasuna would lose the next match as well, but despite expectations, Jagoba Arrasate’s team fought ‘Athletic’ in Bilbao and was close to victory but eventually conceded in added time – 2-2.

Mallorca

The islanders, in turn, continue to fight for survival and are now just one win away from successfully accomplishing that goal. After losing in a penalty shootout in the Copa del Rey final to the same ‘Atletico’, Javier Aguirre’s team had an unsuccessful four-match series in La Liga, during which they earned only one point, barely holding on to a draw in Cadiz. However, it was a strategically important draw against a direct and main competitor, so the result can be considered overall positive. Before the last round, Mallorca was just above the relegation zone, having a six-point lead over ‘Cadiz’. That’s where they remained after the matches, but thanks to the victory over ‘Las Palmas’, Javier Aguirre’s team moved up two places, taking advantage of losses by ‘Celta’ and ‘Rayo Vallecano’. The victory over the Canarians was brought by Giovanni Gonzalez’s precise strike with active involvement of Vedat Muriki in the 29th minute of the match. After scoring, ‘Mallorca’ quickly focused on defense and almost paid the price for it, but in the end, everything ended the way the hosts needed it to.

Osasuna – Mallorca: Probable Lineups

In Osasuna, injured defensive leader David Garcia and winger Kike Barja are out, while midfielder Pablo Ibanez will miss the match due to suspension. We also note the return to the squad of Unai Garcia, Moncayola, and Ante Budimir, although their participation in the match is currently in question. Mallorca, on the other hand, has no issues with injuries, but is without two players due to accumulation of yellow cards – center-back Martin Valiente and main forward Vedat Muriki.

Osasuna – Mallorca: Author’s Prediction

Osasuna has lost their last three home matches, but now the Pamplona team has a very good opportunity to finally delight their fans. At the same time, it is worth noting that home matches against Mallorca in La Liga have previously been very difficult for ‘Rojillos’, but the islanders usually play, to put it mildly, quite mediocre away from home. Perhaps Javier Aguirre’s team will finally manage to secure a draw, but I consider the option of Osasuna winning by a slim margin more likely.