Cadiz is hosting Osasuna at Estadio Ramon de Carranza in round 1 in Spanish LaLiga.
Cadiz is the newcomer to LaLiga after finishing second in LaLiga 2 last season with 69 points, just 1 point away from the top. Cadiz was the best defensive team in LaLiga 2 last season with only 39 conceded goals, while they were solid offensively with 50 scored goals. Cadiz has done well in the preseason with 1 loss, 2 wins, and 1 draw, alongside 4 scored goals, and 3 conceded goals. Alex Fernandez was Cadiz’s best player last season with 13 goals, while Lozano added 10 goals. Salvi has had 7 assists, while Fernandez added another 6 assists. There are no injuries or suspensions in Cadiz as of right now. Cadiz hasn’t lost any important players for this season, but they have signed Gimenez, Lozano, Alejo, Pombo, and Malbasic. As all the newcomers to any of the top leagues, Cadiz’s main goal is to secure their LaLiga status for next season as well, and everything else is just a bonus. I think Cadiz has a good team that can score a lot of goals, and they will certainly be a threat to most of the weaker teams in LaLiga.
Osasuna has played 3 games in the preseason, and they have 1 win, 1 draw, and 1 loss with 3 scored goals and 3 conceded goals. Osasuna has had a solid last season where they ended in 10th place with 52 points, just 4 points away from the Europa League. Brandon, Avila, Garcia, and Cardona are all injured, and they will need to wait some more time before they can play in this new season. Cruz, Gallego, Torro, and Navas are the most notable signings for Osasuna in the offseason, while Perea is the only notable departure from the club. Avila has been Osasuna’s leading goalscorer last season with 9 goals, Garcia has had 8 goals, while Torres added 7 goals and 8 assists. Estupinan has added another 5 assists. Osasuna’s roster has mainly stayed the same, and all of their main players are still at the club, but at the moment, Osasuna is struggling with injuries, and that could impact the start of their season. Jagoba Arrasate has been the head coach since 2018, and there was no reason to change anything because Arrasate has been doing an excellent job with this team. Osasuna is a solid team, and they will look to repeat their last season, and possibly even get to the Europa League. It won’t be easy, but Osasuna has proved that they can compete with the best, and they will do it again.
The trends are on Osasuna’s side in this matchup, and Cadiz has won only 2 of their 6 home games against Osasuna. If not for all the injuries in Osasuna, I would take them in a heartbeat in this match, but I can’t just overlook Cadiz. I think this could be an interesting match that could go either way, but I will pick a draw here.