Our prediction for this Primera Division match:
Alaves will be looking to make amends for a 4-0 loss to Real Sociedad when they take on Osasuna in yet another Basque derby. El Glorioso are only one point clear of the relegation zone in the La Liga standings, meaning that their elite division status is in great danger. The hosts are likely to leave their hearts on the field in Saturday’s clash, and seeing that boss Abelardo Fernandez has almost a full squad to choose from, home win should be considered.
Experienced attacker Lucas Perez is pushing for a start. Los Rojillos, on the other hand, failed to impress in a 2-0 home defeat to Sevilla, and given the importance of the match for the hosts, we predict that Jagoba Arrasate’s charges are going to return to Pamplona empty-handed. All Chimy Avila, Jony, Ruben, and Roncaglia are likely to miss the game through injuries.
Highlighted Player (Lucas Perez):
Lucas Perez is a Spanish footballer who plays for Deportivo La Coruna as a striker. Lucas Perez was born in La Coruna on 10 September, 1988 and he started his youth career at Alaves. Between 2007 and 2009 he played for Atletico Madrid C and in 2009 he signed for Rayo Vallecano.
Lucas Perez scored 25 goals in 44 appearances for los Vallecanos, but he played no more than seven matches for the first team. In 2011 he joined Ukrainian side Karpaty Lviv, but two years later he moved to PAOK, where he played 32 league games for the Greek outfit (scoring nine goals).
Lucas made it to the Greek Football Cup final with PAOk in the 2013/2014 season, but Panathinaikos emerged triumphant in the title game. On 12 August, 2015, Lucas signed a four-year deal with his home-town club Deportivo La Coruna and he impressed in the 2015/2016 La Liga campaign, scoring 17 goals for the Galician outfit.
Highlighted Team (Osasuna):
Osasuna are a Basque football team that plays in Spanish La Liga. Los Rojillos are based in Pamplona and and the club were founded in 1920. Estadio El Sadar has been the home of Osasuna since 1967 and the capacity of the stadium is 19,800.
The colour of Osasuna’s home kit is red, while the team’s shorts are navy blue. Los Rojillos dropped to the Segunda Division at the end of the 2013/2014 La Liga campaign, but they did not spend too many time in the Spanish second tier. The club returned to the elite division in 2016 after beating Girona in the play-offs.
Osasuna made it to the Spanish Copa del Rey final in 2005, but they eventually lost to Real Betis after extra time in the title game. The meaning of the word Osasuna is “health” in Basque and it is used in a sense of strength.