Osasuna vs Valencia

08/12- Valencia were one of the sides that started off the season on a very bright note and then not so long ago thrashed Real Madrid 5-1 but all of a sudden the world has changed for the club, its players and fans. Their home loss to Athletic Bilbao last week has put them out f the top 5 and 8 points behind the league leaders as well. Their problems are pounding on and on, the team has injury problems and worse enough they have been conceding many goals in every match. Though the team has scored goals but their oppositions have been able to score equally freely and this highlights their defensive weakness.

 

With a series of key players missing, Valencia will be looking forward to the return of Ivan Helguera, who was out due to an injury and also quite some bit will be expected from Morientes. Both these former Real Madrid club mates need to pull out a rabbit of the hat to get the team back on winning tracks. The home team on the other hand will be looking to make the most of this opportunity. The season has been a mixed bag for the club and the results have gone against them in the ending moments of the game and this demands more focus from the team players.

 

Osasuna would be hoping Punal and Plasil to deliver the performance they did mid week against Sevilla. A win here potentially could put Osasuna back in the hunt for a spot in the top half of the table while another defeat for Valencia would mean a virtual goodbye to the champions’ title this season as they are already running behind the league leaders by quite a big margin. All this would lead up to a spiced up battle as both teams have a point to prove.

 

Prediction: 1-1 draw