Afghanistan
Angola
Argentina
Asia (AFC)
Asian Games
Australia
Belgium-Netherlands
Brazil
Burkina Faso
Central American & Caribbean Games
Central American Games
Congo DR
Denmark
England
Europe (UEFA)
FYR Macedonia
Finland
Germany
Greece
International Tournaments
Italy
Mediterranean Games
Mexico
National
Nepal
North & Central America (Concacaf)
Palestine
Pan American Games
Panama
Russia
Scandinavia
Serbia And Montenegro
South American Games
Spain
Syria
USA
Venezuela
World (FIFA)
Yemen
Zimbabwe

Osasunavs.Leganes

sportsmole.co.uk, 15 August 2024, 13:40
Reigning Segunda Division champions Leganes will begin life back in the top flight with a trip to Estadio El Sadar on Saturday evening, with Osasuna their opponents in La Liga.

Leganes are back in the top tier after a four-season absence, while Osasuna finished 11th in La Liga last term to secure a sixth straight campaign at this level.

Match preview

Osasuna said goodbye to long-serving head coach Jagoba Arrasate at the end of last season, with the Spaniard departing to take charge of Mallorca, and Vicente Moreno is now in charge of Los Rojillos, with the 49-year-old available after leaving Almeria last September.

Gorritxoak have been steady in La Liga since earning promotion back to this level in 2018-19, finishing 10th, 11th, 10th, seventh and 11th in their last five campaigns.

Osasuna found it difficult during stages of last season, but they finished with a record of 12 wins, nine draws and 17 defeats to collect 45 points, which left them in 11th spot in the table, 12 points above the relegation zone.

Moreno's side have been relatively quiet in the transfer window, only making two signings thus far, with left-back Abel Bretones arriving from Real Oviedo, while versatile attacker Bryan Zaragoza has moved to the club on loan from Bayern Munich.

Osasuna are on a three-game winning run against Leganes in La Liga, including a 2-1 success when the two teams last locked horns in June 2020.

Leganes won the Segunda Division last season to secure a return to the top flight, with El Lega claiming 74 points from their 42 matches to finish at the top of the pile.

Borja Jimenez's side were only actually three points ahead of third-placed Eibar, who missed out on promotion through the playoffs, so it was a tight second tier last season.

Leganes spent four seasons in La Liga between 2016 and 2020, but they have struggled in the second tier of late, finishing 12th and 14th in 2021-22 and 2022-23 respectively before managing to claim first last term and earn a spot back in the top flight.

Jimenez's team have been busy during this summer's transfer window, with their standout arrival proving to be Miguel de la Fuente from Alaves following a successful loan spell, while Renato Tapia and Oscar Rodriguez are also among those to have joined the promoted club.

Leganes' biggest departure has been goalkeeper Diego Conde to Villarreal, but they look in good shape heading into the new campaign and will fancy their chances of avoiding the drop.

Osasuna friendly form:

Leganes friendly form:

Team News

Osasuna are still without the services of Kike Barja due to a long-term knee injury, but the home side are otherwise expected to have a full squad available for this match.

New head coach Moreno is still learning about his players, so he will need to have a good look at certain individuals early in the campaign, but there are likely to be debuts for Bretones and Zaragoza on Saturday, with both expected to start.

David Garcia will be a notable absentee, with the 30-year-old moving to Qatar this summer, but there will be a familiar look to their side from last season, with Ante Budimir, who scored 17 times in La Liga last term, set to lead the line.

As for Leganes, there are likely to be a number of debutants in their side, with De la Fuente, Juan Cruz, Tapia and Rodriguez among those who should start.

De la Fuente was on loan at the club last season, scoring 13 times in all competitions, while Diego Garcia managed 12 goals in 2023-24, and the 23-year-old is also set to start.

Marko Dmitrovic is in line to debut between the sticks, while Valentin Rosier, who has arrived from Besiktas, is expected to play at right-back.

Osasuna possible starting lineup:

Fernandez; Vidal, U Garcia, Catena, Bretones; Moncayola, Torro, M Gomez; Zaragoza, Budimir, Arnaiz

Leganes possible starting lineup:

Dmitrovic; Rosier, Saenz, Arambarri, J Hernandez; Tapia, Brasanac, Cisse; Rodriguez; De la Fuente, Garcia

We say: Osasuna 1-1 Leganes

Leganes have not managed to beat Osasuna in La Liga since November 2016, and it is a big ask for the promoted outfit to win on Saturday. That said, we like the look of the Leganes squad this season and believe that they can claim a point in their campaign opener here.

Previews by email

Top News

14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk England moved to the top of their 2024-25 UEFA Nations League group on Thursday evening courtesy of a 3-0 victory over Greece. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Didier Deschamps was left frustrated on Thursday as his France side failed to capitalise on their dominance against Israel, being held to a 0-0 draw, though they still progressed to the UEFA Nations League quarterfinals after Italy beat Belgium in the other League A Group 2 fixture. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk England have risen to the top of Group 2 of League B in the UEFA Nations League courtesy of a 3-0 victory over Greece in Athens on Thursday night. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Sandro Tonali's first international goal was enough to send Italy through to the finals of the UEFA Nations League courtesy of a 1-0 win away in Belgium this evening. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea Women and Manchester City Women will go head-to-head in Saturday's top-of-the-table clash at Stamford Bridge. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Pep Guardiola has asked Manchester City to sign two defenders in 2025, according to a report. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Al-Nassr centre-back Aymeric Laporte has said that he is open to making the move to Real Madrid. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona sporting director Deco has said that his club are not planning to be active during the January transfer window. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Moldova can boost their hopes of securing promotion from League D Group 2 in the UEFA Nations League when they face fellow European minnows Andorra at Estadi Nacional on Saturday. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Montenegro welcome Iceland to Stadion Kraj Bistrice in Niksic for their penultimate League B Group 4 fixture in the UEFA Nations League on Saturday evening. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal Women and Tottenham Hotspur Women will be looking to secure derby bragging rights when they face off in Saturday's Women's Super League clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Nacho has ruled out the possibility of returning to Real Madrid amid suggestions that Los Blancos were considering making an attempt to re-sign him during the January transfer window. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Two teams with contrasting objectives in the National League are set to meet at the Gateshead International Stadium on Saturday, as promotion hopefuls Gateshead host relegation-threatened Aldershot Town. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Ruben Amorim will reportedly take Manchester United training for the first time on Monday, with the club confident that his visa will have arrived in time for him to officially get on the grass next week. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni has said that a back issue forced Lisandro Martinez to pull out of the squad for the national team's upcoming 2026 World Cup qualification matches with Paraguay and Peru. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso has reportedly set his sights on an exit from the club next summer, and plans to take key man Alex Grimaldo with him. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Locked together at the top of League C Group 1 with two games to play, Sweden and Slovakia will battle it out to take the outright lead when they meet on Saturday evening. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal will reportedly allow out-of-favour defender Jakub Kiwior to leave the club on loan in January. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Wales travel to the Kadir Has Stadium in Kayseri to face Turkey in their penultimate League B Group 4 fixture in the UEFA Nations League on Saturday evening. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona midfielder Pablo Torre has not ruled out the possibility of leaving the club in January, after seeing his game time reduced recently. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aiming to narrow their gap to the top two in the League One table with a third consecutive victory, Barnsley will visit the Abbey Stadium to take on Cambridge United on Saturday. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Alexander Isak has delivered a fresh update on his future at Newcastle United, amid reported interest from a number of clubs including Arsenal. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk West Ham United Women will attempt to claim back-to-back victories when they travel to the Broadfield Stadium for Saturday's Women's Super League meeting with Brighton & Hove Albion Women. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Roma have confirmed the appointment of 73-year-old Claudio Ranieri as their new first-team manager until the end of the season. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Newcastle United winger Anthony Gordon has revealed that he was "desperate" to join Chelsea in 2022. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal could rival Manchester City and Liverpool for the signature of Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool are reportedly weighing up whether to make a move for in-form PSV Eindhoven striker Ricardo Pepi. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk As exquisite as Pedro Neto's equaliser was, the Portuguese's 20-yard leveller for Chelsea in Sunday's 1-1 Premier League draw with Arsenal was arguably more to do with the Gunners' uncharacteristic defensive failings. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona have reportedly made a decision over whether they will pursue a move for Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold. 14 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Estevao Willian has revealed that he will continue with his education even after completing a big-money transfer to Chelsea.