Bilbao athletics will look to get back on their way to La Liga victory when they travel to Estadio El Sadar on Monday night to face Osasuna.

The visitors, who sit 11th in the table, suffered a 2-1 loss to Real Madrid before the winter break, while 13th-placed Osasuna lost 1-0 to Getafe in their last game.

Match preview

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Osasuna have won five, drawn seven and lost six of their 18 La Liga appearances in the 2021-22 campaign to collect 22 points, placing them in 13th place in the table.

Los Rojillos have finished 10th and 11th in the Spanish top flight since returning to this level of football in 2019, and it would not be surprising to see them in a similar position at the end of this campaign.

Osasuna claimed two Copa del Rey victories in December, beating San Agustin and Deportivo La Coruna, but they haven’t triumphed in the league since mid-October; three of their last four La Liga games have finished level, including a 2-2 draw with Barcelona on December 12.

Jagoba ArrasateThe team now have back-to-back home league games against Athletic and Cadiz before heading to Celta Vigo and Granada in their last two matches before the end of the month.

Osasuna have actually been victorious in two of their last three league games against Athletic, including a 1-0 win in the corresponding game in the 2020-21 campaign.

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Athletic, meanwhile, suffered a 2-1 home loss to Real Madrid ahead of the winter break, with an early brace from Karim Benzema prove sufficient to Carlo Ancelottiside to collect the three points.

The Basque side have won just one of their last 10 league games, at home against Real Betis on December 19, and disappointing form has dropped them to 11th place in the table.

Athletic have lost just five of their 19 league games this season, which is the same as champions Atletico Madrid and third-placed Real Betis, but they have recorded just five wins, which kept them from moving higher in the division at this point.

The Lions finished 10th in La Liga last season, but they finished fourth, seventh, fifth and seventh in four consecutive seasons between 2013 and 2017, and MarcelinoThe team of is certainly able to accumulate a series of positive results in the weeks to come to climb to the top.

Athletic haven’t beaten Osasuna in the league since November 2019, however, and they have also been without an away win in Spain’s top flight since late August.

Form of Osasuna La Liga:

Osasuna form (all competitions):

Athletic Bilbao La Liga form:

Team news

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Osasuna will be missing again Jesus Areso by injury, while Chimy Avila, Darko Brasanac, Ivan Marquez, Inigo Perez and Manu Sanchez are absent due to positive COVID-19 tests.

There will be changes from the squad that started against Getafe before the winter break, with Rating and Roberto Torres among those in line to begin with, but Kike should continue in the bottom third of the peloton.

The home team should line up in a 4-4-2 formation, with Ruben Garcia shown on the right, while Lucas Torro and Jon Moncayola should start in the middle of the park.

As for athletics, Asier Villalibre is still injured, while Dani Viviane, Yuri Berchiche and Peru Nolaskoain are also expected to miss the game due to fitness issues.

Unai Nunez, Inigo Lekue, Oier Zarraga and Raul garcia have tested positive for the coronavirus, during this time, so Oihan Sancet is likely to enter the camp in the last third.

Oscar de Marcos is also in line to start at right-back, while an attacking team should include Nico williams, Iker Muniain and Inaki williams, with Dani Garcia appearing in the middle of the park.

Possible starting composition of Osasuna:
Herrera; Vidal, D Garcia, U Garcia, Coast; Torres, Moncayola, Torro, R Garcia; Kike, Budimir

Possible starting lineup of Athletic Bilbao:
Simon; From Marcos, Alvarez, Martinez, Balenziaga; N Williams, Vencedor, D Garcia, Muniain; I Williams, Sancet

We say: Osasuna 1-1 Athletic Bilbao

Athletic have been the draw specialist in La Liga this season, sharing points nine times, and we expect another draw on Monday night. Osasuna also went a long time without taking the league’s three points, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see a stalemate in this competition.

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