Defending La Liga champions Barcelona will fight it out against Osasuna in their third fixture of this year's edition of the tournament at the El Sadar stadium. The Blaugrana will be looking forward to continue their recent form into the match whereas Osasuna, who are having a decent run in the tournament, will aim to upset the Spanish giants at their home.
Preview, Prediction and Schedule
The Catalan club after facing a shocking defeat at the hands of Athletic Bilbao in their first match of the tournament bounced back with a convincing win against Real Betis. French striker Antoine Griezmann who joined the club this season found the back of the net as he scored a brace along with Arturo Vidal, Carles Perez and Jordi Alba contributing one goal each.
Barcelona legend Lionel Messi did not play in the first two fixtures as he is recovering from injury and the 32-year-old will again be unavailable for the away fixture. Coach Ernesto Valverde does not want to risk the star player as the Champions League will start soon.
The Catalan club's attacking line have found their form but their defence is not up to the mark yet as they again conceded two goals against Betis. They will have a much easier outing against Osasuna but the coach needs to sort out his team's defence to assure a flawless win.
On the other hand, Osasuna have got a decent start to their La Liga campaign this year. But the Los Rojillos were held to a goalless draw against Eibar. However, they started their campaign on a high with a 1-0 victory over Leganes. The club which got promoted to the top division this season will aim for a top-15 finish and defeating Barcelona will be a huge step forward.
The Catalan club are the clear favourites in the fixture until and unless the Los Rojillos surprise the Spanish giants. The score-line will probably be 4-1 for Barcelona.
The Barcelona-Osasuna match will start at 5 PM local time on August 31 and 8.30 PM IST on August 31.
Live Streaming: How and where to watch in India
The match will not be telecasted in India as Sony Sports network did not get the broadcasting rights. The fixture will be streamed live on the official La Liga page on Facebook.
