Betis and Osasuna will meet on Sunday in La Cartuja after a three-week break caused by international matches, with both teams looking to regain victory. The Sevillian, who has achieved 16 of a possible 21 points this season, is preparing for a duel that will also mark the beginning of his participation in the Champions League after the victory at Lille. Meanwhile, Osasuna are trying to break their losing streak at home, where they have not won since January 2014.
Chilean coach Manuel Pellegrini, who combines the League, the Champions League and the Copa del Rey, must decide the distribution of minutes among his players who have been called up to the national teams. Among those summoned are Facundo Bernal, Fran García, Manu González, Ángel Ortiz, Giovani Lo Celso, Valentín Gómez, Troy Parrott, Ez Abde, Álvaro Fidalgo and Junior Firpo. Firpo is sidelined with a muscle injury, while Aitor Ruibal is recovering from knee surgery. In addition, midfielder Dani Ceballos, who has not participated in the preseason, will continue without a starter but will have minutes according to Pellegrini's philosophy that "the starters and those who enter throughout the game are important."
Osasuna, for its part, comes to the competition with the intention of reversing its negative trend in La Cartuja, where they have lost eight games and drawn one since 2014. The draw against Rayo Vallecano on September 19 ended a series of three consecutive defeats, but it was not enough to regain confidence. Coach Ramis hopes to “see a good level and improve in situations that have not allowed us to add more.” The rojillo team plans to adopt a more conservative defensive strategy to contain Betis' offensive potential.
The break has allowed Osasuna to recover key players. Rosier, who had not played this season, is available again, and Aimar Oroz is emerging as the centerpiece of the midfield. “It is important, in attack it gives you clarity and output due to the intelligence it has, but we will look for solutions, because we have to get our hands on the rival,” explained the coach about Oroz's return. Osasuna's casualty list includes Moro, Del Castillo, Herrando and Bonel, while Kike Barja arrives with his participation conditioned by his physical condition.
The probable lineups place Betis with Álvaro Valles in goal, Ángel Ortiz, Bartra, Natan and Fran García in defense, Deossa and Marc Roca in midfield, and Antony, Isco and Riquelme in attack, with Cucho Hernández on the bench. Osasuna will have Aitor Fernández in goal, Arguibide, Boyomo, Catena, Unai Santos and Bretones in defense, Moncayola, Iker Muñoz and Aimar in the center, Rubén García and Budimir in attack. The referee will be Carlos Muñiz of the Aragonese Committee, and the match will begin at 18:30 (CET).