Atlético Madrid will travel up to the city of Pamplona on Tuesday night for their antepenúltimo match of this long and complicated season, to face CA Osasuna in LALIGA.
With UEFA Champions League football for next season long secured and third place requiring a monumental stuff-up from Villarreal to be achieved, the only thing left for Atleti to play for is hitting the slightly underwhelming 70-point mark — which they can do by winning all of their last three matches (or winning two and drawing one).
Diego Simeone’s side (19-6-10, 63 points) will know they still have professional standards to uphold and a smattering of travelling away support to play in front of. But motivation will be at an all-time low given the way the season has unfolded in the last few weeks, and it’s something that is likely to affect the team El Cholo selects.
As for Osasuna (11-9-15, 42 points), they sit in the LALIGA mezzanine, as is often the case, with relegation and European qualification both still mathematically possible. Whether or not they will use either as great inspiration is to be seen; a mid-table finish is likely to be accepted by the El Sadar faithful.
For any punters out there, one thing that is almost guaranteed to happen is for the home side to get on the scoresheet on Tuesday night. Los Rojillos have a remarkable record of scoring in every home match that extends back to two years ago. Real Betis were the last team to come away from El Sadar with a clean sheet on May 5, 2024.
This is largely thanks to talismanic Croatian striker Ante Budimir (yes, the guy who almost ruined Atleti’s 2021 LALIGA title) who has 17 league goals to his name this campaign.
Budimir’s continued brilliance in Spanish football has been married with the country’s breakout star of the season, Víctor Muñóz. The youngster has been a menace down both wings, putting in performances that have earnt him a place in the Spanish national team with the FIFA World Cup on the horizon. Unfortunately for Osasuna, a calf injury is likely to keep him out of this match.
A familiar face will be on the opposition side, someone who has had a much-deserved career resurgence since he left Atlético in January. Javi Galán has become quite literally the first name on the Osasuna team sheet since he joined the Navarrese outfit, as he has played more minutes than anyone in their squad from his debut onwards.
Atlético have only lost twice in the last 11 visits to Pamplona, with one of those coming in the league-winning season of 2013/14, and the other being last year (also matchday 36 in midweek — it’s like the RFEF don’t even try, eh).
Memorable encounters at El Sadar include Marcos Llorente’s coming of age performance in deep post-COVID June of 2020, the 3-1 win during the 2020-21 season which saw Lucas Torreira (the streets won’t forget) score a banger and the season after that, when Luís Suárez scored a left-footed half-volley from near the halfway line.
Team news
Where to begin?
Well, Pablo Barrios and Nico González continue to be sidelined, and along with Johnny Cardoso, who recently joined them, more have been added to the list of unavailable players.
José María Giménez might have played his last minutes for the club at home to Celta Vigo at the weekend — his lengthy Atleti career fittingly ending with him hobbling off the field, boot in hand and an injured ankle.
Another casualty from the Celta match was Nahuel Molina who appears to have injured his left thigh. He will be doing all he can to continue his quad-annual quest to transfigure into the Argentine Cafú.
Fellow Albiceleste superstar Julián Alvarez will still be nursing his ankle injury that he picked up against Arsenal, while he no doubt sits at home with his lovely partner, newborn son and dog wondering if there’s a club out there able to afford his release clause and salary.
Lastly on the no-go register, Álex Baena has picked up too many yellow cards (and poor Into the Calderón ratings), so he will also be staying put for this one.
As for those who actually will play, who bloody knows? Atleti have a lamentable away record (the seventh-best in the league) and with the majority of the squad begging for time off to prepare for the World Cup, we could see a team of children put out on Tuesday night.
One assumes Jan Oblak will start in goal, but the defence in front of him is anyone’s guess. It could contain Javi Boñar given Molina’s absence and the lack of midfield options, which Llorente will likely cover.
Giuliano Simeone is a doubt, which may see room for Miguel Cubo following his promising minutes in recent weeks.
While there is no reason for the likes of Ademola Lookman and Alexander Sørloth not to start, the temptation to give them a rest and let academy prospects such as Iker Luque have another go may sit with Simeone.
That being said, Atlético Madrileño manager Fernando Torres will want all of his boys to be fit and available for their last two matches of the season with a chance of automatic promotion to the second division still a reality. The irony of course is that if it wasn’t for the youth team players getting their opportunity in the last weeks, they might be sat in the driving seat to avoid having to go through the play-offs.
Predicted lineup Oblak; Boñar, Le Normand, Lenglet, Ruggeri; Cubo, Llorente, Koke, Lookman; Griezmann, Sørloth.
