Key Facts
- Atletico travels to Pamplona with significant absences: Pablo Barrios, Nico González, and Nahuel Molina are definitely out, which significantly weakens the midfield and attacking width.
- Osasuna will be without starting goalkeeper Sergio Herrera; Aitor Fernández will replace him following his suspension.
- In the last five head-to-head matches, there was at most one goal or none at all in the first half—a pattern suggesting a quiet first half.
- Atletico has failed to score before halftime in its last five league games, reinforcing expectations of another subdued first half.
- Osasuna has conceded at least one goal in each of its last five league matches; the defense has shown vulnerabilities despite holding comfortable leads at times.
- With 17 goals this season, Ante Budimir is Osasuna’s biggest offensive threat and poses a key danger to Atletico’s weakened squad.
Atletico travels to Pamplona with more unanswered questions than usual: Following the 0-1 home loss to Celta Vigo, Diego Simeone had only a handful of regular starters fully available for training. Osasuna, meanwhile, is trying to stabilize after squandering a 2-0 lead in the 2-3 loss at Levante—ironically, after Sergio Herrera’s red card turned the game on its head. The matchup in the 36th round of La Liga at Estadio El Sadar thus takes on a somewhat unusual character. Alessio Liscis’s team sits in 10th place with 42 points and continues to fight for a European spot, while Atlético, in fourth place with 63 points, has already secured Champions League qualification.
- Venue: Estadio El Sadar, Pamplona
- Date and time: May 12, 2026, 9:30 p.m.
- Competition: La Liga (Matchday 36)
Simeone’s squad is thin; Pablo Barrios, Nico González, Nahuel Molina, and reportedly Julián Alvarez are out, and Atletico has failed to score before halftime in their last five matches.
Osasuna Form & Record Check
Osasuna’s collapse at Levante is particularly painful because they had looked so in control early on. An early own goal and Ante Budimir’s finish off a cross from Abel Bretones put them in a comfortable position, but the game turned before halftime, and they conceded the decisive goal in stoppage time.
Since Sergio Herrera’s red card came in La Liga, he will miss the visit from Atlético, which immediately puts Aitor Fernández in the spotlight. In league play, Alessio Lisci has recorded one win, one draw, and three losses in the last five games. The 2-1 home win against Sevilla showed grit, the 1-1 draw against Real Betis was at least competitive, but the losses to Athletic Club, Barcelona, and Levante revealed a familiar pattern: Osasuna has conceded goals in all five matches. Budimir’s 17 league goals remain the strongest argument for the offense.
Osasuna is likely to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, as Sergio Herrera is suspended following his red card against Levante and Aitor Fernández is expected to start in goal. Alejandro Catena and Enzo Boyomo are set to start in central defense, with Lucas Torró and Jon Moncayola expected to anchor the midfield in front of them. Aimar Oroz is likely to act as the link to Ante Budimir up front.
Atletico Form & Record Check
The 0-1 loss to Celta Vigo felt less like a total collapse and more like a team running on fumes. Simeone insisted that the effort was there, but Jan Oblak’s comments after the Arsenal match still hang in the air: The keeper admitted that the team too often only starts playing after they’ve already conceded a goal. The Champions League semifinal ended with a 1-1 draw at home and a 1-0 loss in London. Their league form has been mixed, but it’s not yet cause for alarm. Atlético defeated Valencia 2-0 and Athletic Club 3-2, but their rhythm in the final stretch of the season has been severely disrupted by injuries and the disappointment in Europe. Pablo Barrios and Nico González are definitely out; according to reports from Madrid, Nahuel Molina is also out, and both Julián Alvarez and José María Giménez are considered unlikely to travel. This noticeably weakens the depth and impact in midfield.
Atletico is expected to line up in a 4-4-2, with Jan Oblak in goal and Marc Pubill projected to start at right back. Nahuel Molina’s reported muscle tear points to this change, while José María Giménez and Dávid Hancko could form the center of the defense. With Pablo Barrios out due to a muscle injury, Koke and Álex Baena are likely to form the backbone of the midfield in this potential lineup. Nico González is also unavailable, so Ademola Lookman is expected to be the wing option, with Antoine Griezmann and Julián Alvarez leading the attack.
Osasuna – Atlético Head-to-Head & Stats
The last five meetings produced no draws and only a slight advantage for Atlético: three wins to Osasuna’s two. Atlético won 1-0 in October 2025, after Osasuna had secured a 2-0 home victory in May 2025. The earlier match in 2025 also ended 1-0 in favor of Atletico, while Osasuna’s 4-1 away win in 2024 stands out as a clear outlier. Atletico also won 2-0 at El Sadar in 2023. The most striking pattern is the slow start: In all five matches, the first half saw fewer than 1.5 goals, and four of the five ended with fewer than 2.5 goals total. This doesn’t make the match passive, but it does suggest long stretches of control and patience, especially when Atlético focuses on defense and Osasuna tries to make life difficult at El Sadar without venturing too far out of cover.
