Osasuna go into Osasuna vs Racing Santander needing a response after taking only one point from their last five league games. They are 16th in La Liga with eight points from eight matches, while Racing Santander are 15th with the same tally. The cleaner edge in this preview comes from the two centre-forwards, with Ante Budimir on six goals in eight appearances and Yassir Zabiri on seven in eight.

Osasuna's slide into this game

Osasuna's early return of seven points from their first three matches has given way to a much flatter run. They have picked up just one point from their last five, and they go into Sunday after a 5-2 defeat to Real Betis. Jagoba Arrasate said Osasuna will attempt to post their first victory in La Liga since the end of August when they welcome Racing Santander to Estadio El Sadar on Sunday afternoon.

That leaves the home side with a straightforward job in the standings, even if the performance level has not been consistent enough. Osasuna have the better home setting, but the form line is the worrying part and it has made this one feel more about stopping the drop than climbing the table.

Budimir and Zabiri in the spotlight

Budimir's six goals in eight appearances have kept Osasuna's attack going, and that return is the main reason they still have a foothold in matches like this. Zabiri's seven in eight gives Racing Santander a forward with even sharper output on paper, which is why this game reads as a striker duel rather than a table fixture.

Sports Mole's preview editor backed the home side to edge it, saying, "Home advantage could be key in this match, with Osasuna potentially shading a close encounter in order to put a valuable three points on the board." That call is hard to ignore with Osasuna at Estadio El Sadar, but Racing's scoring form means the visitors arrive with a real threat of their own.

The teams have not met since March 2015, and Racing Santander are back in La Liga for the first time since 2011-12. It gives Osasuna vs Racing Santander a feel that sits somewhere between a tight survival-style league game and a rare meeting between clubs with little recent history.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →