RCD Espanyol face a tricky trip to El Sadar on Saturday, September 12, kicking off at 14:15 UTC against Osasuna in matchday 5 of La Liga. The Catalan side sit 12th with 4 points from 4 games, coming off a bittersweet 1-1 draw at home to Sevilla on Saturday, September 6.
A draw that stung
Miguel Fernandez Sanchez's 90th minute goal rescued a point against Sevilla, after Lucas Stassin had put the visitors ahead in the 85th minute. That result leaves Espanyol with 6 goals scored and 5 conceded this season, a difference of plus one that shows a side still finding its rhythm and sitting 8 points behind leaders Barcelona. Diego Martinez lined up in a 4-2-3-1 against Sevilla, with Marko Dmitrovic in goal, Omar El Hilali and Unai Nunez at the back alongside Leandro Cabrera and Ruben Hinojo, and Gabriel Moscardo partnering Alex Calatrava in midfield.
Osasuna's inconsistent form
The Navarrese side, currently 8th, have swung between highs and lows in recent weeks, something Espanyol will hope to exploit. Osasuna were beaten 5-2 away at Alaves on September 6, but before that had won 1-0 at home to Getafe and 2-1 away at Celta Vigo, as well as drawing 0-0 with Levante and losing 0-2 to Al Ain in a pre-season friendly. Against Alaves, Jagoba Arrasate fielded a 4-2-2-2 with Sergio Herrera in goal and Ante Budimir leading the line.
Three absences for Arrasate
The home side arrive with several players sidelined. Osasuna's medical staff have confirmed that midfielders Aimar Oroz and Moi Gomez are out with muscle injuries, a hamstring problem for Oroz, while defender Jorge Herrando is also nursing a muscle issue. All three are expected to be out until September 30, forcing Arrasate to rework his midfield options for this fixture.
What is at stake
A win at El Sadar would let Espanyol climb the table ahead of a demanding run that fans can check on the club's fixtures page, while the current state of the squad is detailed on the injuries page. The full table, with Espanyol 12th and Osasuna 8th, can be found on standings. Martinez must now decide whether to keep the same eleven that drew with Sevilla or make changes after the international break.
