Osasuna Look to Snap Five-Game Losing Streak Against Winless Levante

Osasuna heads into this LaLiga clash with an urgent need to end a streak that's weighing them down: five straight losses in their last five games. Standing in their way is a Levante side that has only played one match in the competition so far, but lost it 3-0, a blow that already leaves them near the bottom of the table. El Sadar will host a match both sides need to win, though for different reasons: one to stop the bleeding, the other to finally get on the board.

The Navarrese club averages 1.64 goals scored per game and concedes 1.26, numbers that point to a team that creates chances but also struggles defensively: they've kept a clean sheet in just 26% of their matches. Ante Budimir remains their main offensive threat, with 17 goals, well ahead of Raul Garcia, the club's second top scorer with 7. One interesting wrinkle: Osasuna tends to look more dangerous late in games, with their most productive stretch coming between the 76th and 90th minutes.

Levante, meanwhile, arrives with a very different picture. Their recent form shows three wins and two losses in their last five matches, but what stands out most is how the season started: in their only LaLiga game so far they failed to score and conceded three, leaving them without points and with the worst goal difference among teams that have already played, tied with Getafe. They haven't kept a clean sheet in any recent match, and their most productive scoring stretch comes right at the start, between minutes 0 and 15, the opposite of what they need to hold onto results.

In the standings, neither club has played enough matches yet to draw firm conclusions: Osasuna has yet to feature in this league campaign, and Levante has just the one match under its belt, sitting in 19th place. These are still early-season numbers, so it's worth not reading too much into them just yet.

What the head-to-head record says

The history between these two clubs clearly favors Osasuna: of the 8 matches played, the Rojillos won 4, drew 2 and lost 2, with a goal difference of 12 for and 8 against. That's no guarantee for today's match, but it is a precedent Osasuna will be eager to lean on after their recent rough patch.

Likely lineups

For Osasuna, the projected lineup (medium reliability based on recent matches) points to Sergio Herrera in goal, a back line of Valentin Rosier, Enzo Boyomo, Alejandro Catena and Javi Galan, a midfield of Jon Moncayola, Ruben Garcia, Aimar Oroz, Lucas Torro and Raul Moro, with Ante Budimir leading the attack.

For Levante, the probable XI has Mathew Ryan between the posts, a back line of Adrian de la Fuente, Jeremy Toljan, Matias Moreno and Manu Sanchez, a midfield of Jon Ander Olasagasti, Pablo Martinez, Kervin Arriaga and Victor Garcia, and up top the duo of Carlos Espi and Ivan Romero.

What the numbers say

Our model calculates the following probabilities for this match:

The favoritism is clear but not overwhelming: Osasuna starts as the favorite, playing at home and with the head-to-head record on their side, but Levante still has a real chance to pull off an upset. As for expected goals, our own estimate projects 1.74 for Osasuna and 1.12 for Levante, for a total of 2.86 goals in the match. This is our own projection, not a betting line.

With Osasuna desperate to snap their losing streak and Levante chasing its first point of the season, El Sadar is set for a match shaped by crossed needs and little room for speculation.