Osasuna’s European hopes have taken a hit in recent times, and they will be hoping to do better when they host Atletico Madrid

Osasuna’s European hopes have taken a hit in recent times, and they will be hoping to do better when they host Atletico Madrid. This matchday 36 action finds Osasuna 11th while Atletico are third. We have a prediction for the match below.

Osasuna are still holding onto their ambitions for Europe. Their main undoing is that they struggle against the top teams. In three straight matches against lower teams, Osasuna posted straight wins.

Then came Villarreal and Real Betis in the last two games, and they could only earn one point from a possible six. Los Rojillos also conceded two or more in five of the last 10 matches.

This will be tough for Osasuna, who have only two clean sheets in 10 matches. Atletico will be alive to that fact, coming from a 4-0 win at home to Real Sociedad.

That win, coupled with Real Betis’ draw with Osasuna, ensured Diego Simeone’s team will be in the Champions League next season. Atleti have now scored three or more goals in three of their last five matches and come into this game on four wins in six.

Also, in their last three matches, they kept clean sheets. Away from home, though, they’ve won once in five matches but only lost once in 11 meetings with Osasuna.

Last summer, Osasuna lost manager Jago Arrasate to Real Mallorca and they replaced him with Vicente Moreno, formerly of Almeria. They had been tipped up for relegation before then pushing themselves into contention for European qualification in La Liga.

That had subsided once again, though, as they drifted back down the table and were even in the relegation battle about a month ago. Now they begin this weekend’s round of fixtures just a couple of points outside of the top eight and the European spots.

With little to play for in the final few weeks of the season, Atletico Madrid produced an impressive first-half performance to hammer Real Sociedad by four goals to nil at the Metropolitano at the weekend with Alexander Sorloth scoring all four goals.

The Norway international striker scored against his former club in the seventh, tenth, eleventh and 30th minutes of the match. They have earned four victories with a draw and a defeat in their last six matches in La Liga.