Real Betis travel to Pamplona on Sunday desperate to snap a frustrating winless run in La Liga, as they take on a resilient Osasuna side with European ambitions of their own. Manuel Pellegrini’s men haven’t tasted league victory since mid-February, and the pressure is mounting on a squad simultaneously battling for European glory on the continent.
The Seville outfit currently sit fifth in the La Liga standings, just a single point ahead of sixth-placed Celta Vigo. With only 12 points separating them from fourth-placed Atlético Madrid, the mathematical reality of securing a top-four finish is looking increasingly distant. What was once a promising domestic campaign has been dulled by 12 draws in league play this season — the highest tally in the entire division.
Pellegrini’s side are winless across their last six La Liga fixtures, drawing four of those matches, which tells the story of a team that is grinding without converting. The most recent league outing saw them held to a goalless draw by Espanyol, doing little to settle the nerves of supporters who had hoped for a late-season charge. Betis are also juggling European commitments after drawing 1-1 with Braga in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final, with the return leg on home soil to follow next week.
On the injury front, Betis head into Sunday without Giovani Lo Celso and Isco, both sidelined, while Junior Firpo remains a significant doubt. Winger Antony, who started from the bench against Braga, is expected to return to the starting XI, and Cucho Hernández — who has netted 12 goals across all competitions this campaign — should lead the line as centre-forward.
Osasuna vs Real Betis: Can Los Rojillos Take Advantage of Betis’ La Liga Struggles?
Osasuna are no pushovers heading into this Osasuna vs Real Betis clash. Alessio Lisci’s side have quietly assembled one of the more impressive home records in Spain’s top flight, picking up 28 points from 14 home matches, suffering just two defeats at the Estadio El Sadar all season. That places them firmly in the conversation for European football — sitting ninth, six points adrift of the final European qualification spot.
Los Rojillos come into Sunday off the back of four points from their last two league games, beating Girona before sharing the spoils with Alavés. It’s the kind of steady form that keeps a club in contention without necessarily turning heads, but in a congested mid-table, consistency is currency. Last season, Osasuna finished ninth — level on points with eighth-placed Rayo Vallecano — and narrowly missed the continental cut. They won’t want a repeat of that heartbreak.
However, history isn’t on their side when it comes to this particular fixture. Real Betis have won four of their last five La Liga matches against Osasuna, and the Andalusians ran out 2-0 winners in the reverse fixture earlier this season. Osasuna haven’t managed to beat Betis since April 2023, which is a streak Lisci’s men will be desperate to reverse.
Osasuna will be forced into at least one enforced change for the tie. Flavien Boyomo is suspended after collecting a milestone yellow card against Alavés, with Jorge Herrando expected to slot into the starting lineup in his absence. Long-term absentee Iker Benito remains unavailable due to a knee injury. The focal point of the attack will once again be Ante Budimir, who has scored 17 goals across all competitions this season — a remarkable return for the 34-year-old Croatian striker.
With Betis distracted by European ambitions and carrying a lengthy unbeaten-but-not-winning league run, Osasuna have a genuine opportunity to capitalise on Sunday. The hosts are organised, dangerous at home, and motivated by the prospect of Europa. Betis, for all their talent, look like a side searching for something they haven’t quite found in weeks. A share of the spoils feels like the most likely outcome — and for Real Betis, that would be yet another frustrating afternoon in what has become a long, difficult stretch of domestic football.