"We have beaten them this season" - Osasuna boss Vicente Moreno makes confident claim ahead of Barcelona clash

Despite struggling in LaLiga, Osasuna head coach Vicente Moreno says he feels confident ahead of Thursday’s (March 27) clash against Barcelona. The Spanish outfit have been unable to secure more than one league victory in 2025, and have only 33 points from 27 games this season.

Osasuna’s biggest victory over Barcelona came earlier this season (September 2024), when they beat the Catalan giants 4-2 at El Sadar. They also defeated Athletic Club 3-2 in the Copa del Rey at San Mames.

Moreno thinks their results against these clubs earlier in the season show they are capable of playing against the best. With the Barcelona game coming up this midweek and the Athletic Club clash happening on the weekend, he said to the press (via Barca Universal):

“These are two huge games that we need to enjoy and play well. Playing against the team that wants to win the league and another aiming for the Champions League is demanding. You have to give your best."

“It is a challenge for anyone playing against Barcelona. What we need is to trust in ourselves. We have two tough opponents, but we have beaten them this season. We need that confidence to keep doing things well," Moreno added.

Osasuna's coach later admitted Barcelona were "very good" but insisted that his side had to believe in themselves.

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Hansi Flick frustrated as key Barcelona players are ruled out for Osasuna clash

Barcelona boss Hansi Flick has expressed his irritation with not having Raphinha and Ronald Araujo available for their LaLiga match against Osasuna. The match was postponed due to the death of club doctor Carles Minarro Garcia.

Due to the international break, it will be played under difficult circumstances for the Catalan side. Raphinha played the full 90 minutes for Brazil in a 4-1 World Cup qualifying defeat against Argentina on March 25, ruling him out for the Osasuna game. Araujo, unused in Bolivia's match for Uruguay, is also unavailable because of fatigue from travel.

Hansi Flick has confirmed that they will not play (via BBC):

"They're out. The flight is long and it's not the most optimal situation. They have to recover and train, and then we'll see on Sunday."

The LaLiga giants had 11 other players who returned from international duty, but Flick said they were far from full recovery:

"It's not the best situation for them. The players have played with their national teams, and that's bad. Now we have to play against Osasuna, and we have to talk about whether it's the right time. I'm not happy..."

Flick also noted that other leagues deal differently with similar situations but maintained that his team would not use that as an excuse.