Alaves and Osasuna go into the meeting at Mendizorrotza with seven points from their opening three La Liga matches, and that is already enough to make this look like an early test of whether either side can stay with the pace at the top. Alaves are fourth and Osasuna are third in the live table, while the game itself is Alaves vs Osasuna.
Alaves' fast start
Alaves have backed up the points total with results. They opened with a 3-0 win over Getafe, drew 1-1 with Rayo Vallecano, then beat Villarreal 1-0 last time out. That is a strong run for a team that finished 14th last season, and it has given them a platform they did not have this early a year ago.
Osasuna have matched them on seven points, so the gap between the two is tiny. The contest is being framed as an early measuring-stick game because both teams have already shown they can win in different ways, and neither looks like a side drifting into a mid-table rhythm yet.
Budimir gives Osasuna a finishing edge
Ante Budimir has two league goals in two appearances, and that kind of start gives Osasuna a reliable outlet in the box. He scored the penalty in their 1-0 win over Getafe last time out, which kept the club moving at the same pace as Alaves.
The preview desk at sportsmole.co.uk expects a tight game. "Both teams have been excellent this season, and we are finding it difficult to separate them on Sunday, ultimately settling on a low-scoring draw," it said. That feels about right given the numbers on both sides, and it also fits the way these two have begun the campaign.
Osasuna have the edge in the live standings, but Alaves' results and their clean, low-event win over Villarreal suggest this is not a team built on a brief hot spell. Sunday should tell us whether one of them can keep turning early momentum into something more lasting.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
