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Opposition lowdown: Osasuna
A trip to Pamplona is next for RCD Espanyol
RCD Espanyol are in midweek action when they make the trip to face CA Osasuna on Thursday.
Having won on the weekend at the RCDE Stadium, Espanyol will travel to Pamplona with confidence and aiming for another big result.
Osasuna currently sit ninth in the LaLiga table, knowing that a win could take them into the European places while a defeat would close the gap between the two teams to a single point.
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Name: CA Osasuna
Nickname: Rojillos (Reds)
Manager: Jagoba Arrasate
Stadium: El Sadar – 23,516 capacity
Last match: L 2-0 vs Villarreal
Last season: 10th
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Last meeting
Osasuna were the visiting team last time out when they came to the RCDE Stadium last May, with both teams coincidentally in the same positions in the table as they are for this week’s meeting.
Kike Barja put the visitors in front just before half-time to strike first for Osasuna. But after a resurgent second half, Espanyol drew level thanks to Nico Melamed’s first goal of the season to earn a 1-1 draw.
Key player
More often than not a team’s key player will come in the form of who is scoring the goals, and that is certainly the case for Osasuna.
Chimy Ávila has been in top form for the Rojillos, currently with three goals in eight appearances to his name. Having previously struggled with injury, the Argentine striker has hit his stride and is certainly enjoying his football at the moment.
Club links
Though he made his name in the capital with Atlético de Madrid, Juanfran spent the early years of his career with these two clubs. A year on loan at Espanyol in the 2005/06 season saw him win the Copa del Rey, his first piece of silverware.
Juanfran then returned to parent club Real Madrid, subsequently joining Osasuna permanently in 2006. In his five seasons in Pamplona, the Spaniard made 168 appearances for the club and earned an impressive 31 goal contributions.