Drowning Men Clutching at Straws: Osasuna and Alavés Face Relegation Reckoning

Moyen Score Futmetrix: 45/100. This is a six-pointer for two teams in freefall, where survival instinct will override ambition in a grim battle for La Liga's basement.

The Setup

Osasuna sits 17th with just 12 points from 14 matches, while Alavés occupy 14th on 15 points. The gap is razor-thin, and the stakes are existential: lose here, and you're staring at the abyss. The form is nightmarish. Osasuna's DLLDL streak screams capitulation; Alavés' LLLWL shows only brief respite. Three wins in 14 games for the hosts, four for visitors. Defensively, both are leaking: Osasuna's 18 goals conceded is the division's worst in this zone, Alavés have shipped 15. Attacking prowess? Each has mustered just 12 goals—a luxury neither can afford.

The Tactical Battle

Without marquee talent, this becomes a test of nerve, not technique. Midfield will dictate tempo; whoever controls possession controls fear. Both defences are porous, meaning one lapse ends it. Expect a suffocating, low-block affair where intensity masks incompetence. Chaos favours neither.

Our Prediction

A dreary stalemate. Two terrified teams playing not to lose rather than to win. Neither will venture forward with conviction; both will pack the box and pray. A 0-0 or 1-1 that leaves both treading water, but at least still afloat.