Levante-Osasuna, Carnival time to disguise

 
Good morning, dear Osasunists! This afternoon Osasuna play in Valencia against Levante at the stadium of Ciutat de València, where two teams will confront their good moment in La Liga as the home players have not lost a game in the last seven weeks and the visitors have added seven out of the nine last possible points.

After those figures, it is clear that Levante have improved a lot since the start of the season and their position in La Liga is out of the dangerous positions and just two points away of the posts that give a passport to Europe.

On the other hand, Osasuna players did their best in all the games played in La Liga this season last Sunday at El Sadar against Atletico ( 3-0 ) and supporters expect to see a continuation of that game as a victory would get closer the final target of the season: avoiding relegation, and the three points would reach the rival of the day: Levante.

The defences will play a very important role in both teams. Andres Fernandez didn't have to take any football from his goals in the last three matches and Levante haven't lost since last January against Valencia at Mestalla ( 2-0 ).

As we always say, Osasuna is a powerful team away from El Sadar with three victories against Málaga (0-1), Valladolid (0-1) and Betis (1-2). Javier Gracia's team got a draw against Celta (1-1), Granada (0-0), and Elche (0-0). Besides Caparros's team have only obtained four victories out of twelve games played at Ciutat de Valencia stadium: RCD Espanyol (3-0), Elche (2-1), Málaga (1-0) and Almería (1-0).

As we usually say lately, the goalaverage is another important issue now. Levante won at (0-1) in the last minutes of the match played at El Sadar and there is a kind of revenge in the Navarrian team. The results in Valencia are in favour of Osasuna as "los rojillos" ( The Little Reds ) have won three of the last six games played in that stadium in La Liga in First Division, and the last two visits ended with the same final score ( 0-2 ).
Possible kickoff teams:
Levante: Navas; Vyntra, Navarro, Juanfran, Nikos, Rubén, Diop, Mate, Ivanschitz, Víctor, Barral.
Osasuna: Andrés Fernández; Oier Sanjurjo, Arribas, Loties, Damiá; Silva, Lolo; Cejudo, Torres, Armenteros; Oriol Riera.

Osasuna-Atletico Madrid, another Monday game

Good evening, dear Osasunists! Today is Monday, but we are already used to writing our weekly article for a match in the week, instead of in the weekend. The rival is a historic Atletico de Madrid, which won their first game away last Sunday in Donostia-San Sebastian. But Osasuna must win their match home as it used to happen before the visits of Santander and Valencia. Atletico is a good rival to prove if our team is ready to struggle for European positions or to confirm the habitual target of avoiding relegation. We, the supporters, must lead the team and forget the coldness in the stadium. Simeone has pushed up his players' motivation and they have started to play a good football with the supposed quality of such as wellknown players. Their supporters might have forgotten all their suspictions with previous coach, Manzano, and they are dreaming of going to Europe again. Mendilibar and his players must struggle against that idilic moment of the second team from Madrid and avoid their third consecutive victory in La Liga. Atletico supporters, and perhaps supporters too, are now thinking about the amount of games they need to win to play the Champions next season. They say that they need 12+1 ( instead of the unlucky number ) and they want to start as soon as possible, and maybe the ancient El Sadar is their beginning. On the other hand, Osasuna must keep up struggling with the dream of a good season and mantain the European positions another week. Tonight, there is a strange mark in the pitch as two good friends are going to be in different teams, but both played in Osasuna in a previous team. Raul Garcia and Juanfran are going to meet in the midfield of El Sadar and fight for the control of the ball. They are both well considered in Pamplona, but Juanfran is now in the rival team. I am sure he will gain the love of our supporters, but in the moment of his substitution or the end of the match. Meanwhile, Raul is the second best scorer in Osasuna, in a position connecting the midfield with the habitual forward, either Nino or Ibrahima. The visits of Atletico to Pamplona have been positive for Osasuna. After going back to First Division, Atletico have won two games and they have lost other six games. Last time they won was last year, and I hope it will take more years to watch another victory of the Indians ( as their supporters are called ). Gora Osasuna! Aupa Rojillos!

Osasuna-At.Madrid, a welcome back game for Juanfran

Good afternoon, dear Osasunists! La Liga is back after a week of International games for many players. And the opponent team is a strong one: Atletico de Madrid.
This team is the second in the capital of Spain. It is usually called "El Pupas", but last year was the only Spanish team to win two titles in a season!

The match is this evening at a late time ( 21.00 hrs ). However, the supporters are eager to watch another game at the Reyno after the three consecutive victories of Osasuna and the second victory away in a raw for our team. Besides, the Reyno de Navarra stadium is always a difficult place to visit for Atletico, as they lost in the last six seasons.

Quique Sanchez Flores, their coach, will have to prepare a team without their star, Kun Aguero, as the Argentinan is amonested for this weekend, but there are some good players at their side we really know: Raul Garcia and Juanfran are two of their names, but do not forger the wingdefender Antonio Lopez!They also have other good players like Reyes or Filipe Luis.

Osasuna also have some problems to get their ideal kickoff team. Pandiani seems to have got over his problems, but he isn't ready to play a full match, and Mendilibar trusts on Kike Sola again. I have already confesed my likes, but I have to admit that he's improved in the last year and he may have matured enough to play in First Division. Other players who can play again for Osasuna are Nekounan and Soriano. They can stop players like Raul or Filipe in Atletico side.

The match tonight might give a clear idea for both team for the rest of the season. There are only four points between them, and the media are talking about Europe in Madrid, and the tranquility of last games in Osasuna, but It may change after this game and Osasuna might have to think of other goals and Quique might suppose a nightmare for the chairman and supporters of Atletico on Monday.

Gora Osasuna!Aupa Rojillos!

Villareal-Osasuna, a game after the sales

Hello dear Osasunists! First of all I have to apologize as last weekend I couldn't send my weekly article because my Internet connection was disabled.
Osasuna played against Getafe in the Reyno de Navarra and we should say that we got a point, as I watched the game and I have to agree Getafe's coach, Michel, that they deserved the victory and Ricardo, like many other games, was the best player of the match.
So, as we see, Osasuna starts the New Year 2011 with a lot of problems, but it seems that Izco and his men are not interested in the results of the team and how the coach leads his players, and theonly interesting issue in their duties is to destroy the team. Now they've decided to sell one of the most important players in the team,Juanfran. I'm not going to extend this topic too much, but here it is my only comment about it: was Juanfran sold for the money he cost?and another question my dear friend used in his drawing: where is the famous "cantera" players of Osasuna?

Today Osasuna is playing against one of the best, if not the best, of the Spanish League after Barça and "the white team of the capital of Spain". Villareal F.C. is a modest team on the top of the leaders.
The "yellow submarine" ( as this Mediterranean team is known ) have played against Mou's team and Sevilla F.C. this week for the League and Copa del Rey competitions. They were defeat in Madrid after some referee's mistakes and a draw at home which makes them difficult to reach the next leg in Copa del Rey.

Villareal supporters expect to get the three points they need to keep their team in a comfortable situation in the classification. They also need to go back on the road of the victories and they think Osasuna is a good rival or victim.
But they also have problems in their team. There are many injured players and Villareal bought two players in the winter market: Cicinho, is the most important one;but they also lost three good players: Ángel, Cazorla y Marcos Senna.
Therefore, I think Osasuna must take a profit of it and get either a draw or the three points in the Madrigal stadium to avoid that heading of "the team which have not won away since 2010".
It was four years ago when Osasuna left Villareal defeated, and in the last visits Osasuna two victories and two draws. Osasuna is in a comfortable situation in "their League" and they must play their best to increase the difference with the teams below.
Probable Kickoff teams
Villarreal CF: Diego López; Mario or Cicinho, Gonzalo Rodríguez, Musacchio, Capdevila; Cani, Bruno Soriano, Matilla, Borja Valero; Marco Ruben and Rossi.

CA Osasuna: Ricardo; Nelson, Sergio, Flaño, Oier; Lolo, Vadócz; Damià, Soriano, Camuñas; and Aranda.


Stadium: El Madrigal. Time: 18.00. Referee: Rubinos Pérez.