New strength of La Liga: Osasuna Club sets out to conquer the top

Athletic Bilbao head into this clash with a sense of momentum after a spring period marked by disciplined defending and sharp transitions. Their recent LaLiga outings have shown a team capable of adapting to different match tempos, including the narrow but hard‑earned win over Valencia, which can be revisited through the 1‑0 result. Over the past two months, the Basque side have also dealt with squad rotation challenges, especially after minor injuries to key midfielders, yet they’ve maintained a competitive edge. Their Copa del Rey triumph earlier this year continues to fuel confidence, and San Mamés remains one of the league’s most intimidating venues.

The hosts’ recent away performance against Alavés, which ended in a gritty 2‑2 draw, highlighted both their resilience and occasional defensive lapses. Ernesto Valverde has spent the last few weeks emphasizing compactness between the lines, especially after the demanding fixture list in April. Their match against Atlético Madrid, reflected in the tight 1‑1 scoreline, showed Bilbao’s ability to frustrate top‑tier opponents. With several players returning to full fitness and the home crowd expected to be in full voice, Athletic approach this encounter with a balanced mix of caution and ambition.

Atlético Madrid welcome Girona to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano in a clash that feels heavier than the table alone suggests. Diego Simeone’s side have been inconsistent in recent weeks, but crucial away wins like the 2-1 success at Osasuna and the controlled 2-0 victory in Valencia have kept them firmly in the hunt for a top‑four finish. At the same time, narrow setbacks against Celta Vigo and Arsenal have underlined both their defensive frailty and their reliance on big moments from Alexander Sørloth and Antoine Griezmann. Off the pitch, the last couple of months have been dominated by fitness updates, with key names such as José Giménez, Nahuel Molina and Julián Álvarez all battling to return from injuries in time to influence the run‑in.

Girona arrive in Madrid with a very different mood, hovering near the relegation places after a difficult spring that has seen points slip away in tight games. Draws against Rayo Vallecano and Real Madrid showed resilience and structure, but home defeats to Mallorca and Real Betis, plus a 2-1 loss away to Valencia, have highlighted how fragile they can be once they fall behind. Recent news around the squad has focused on absentees as well, with Donny van de Beek sidelined long term and attacking options like Portu and Vladyslav Vanat also ruled out, forcing Míchel to lean even more heavily on Viktor Tsygankov and Azzedine Ounahi for creativity and goals.

Barcelona welcome Real Betis to the Camp Nou with the hosts riding a powerful wave of momentum at the top end of LaLiga. Xavi’s side have strung together a series of controlled, professional wins, including a statement victory over Real Madrid by 2-0, underlining both their defensive discipline and their ability to manage big occasions. Recent narrow successes against Celta Vigo and other mid-table opponents have shown a team comfortable grinding out results as much as dazzling. Even with Lamine Yamal ruled out for the season and Andreas Christensen only just returning from a serious knee issue, Barcelona’s collective structure and attacking depth keep them firmly in the title conversation.

Betis arrive as dangerous underdogs, capable of unsettling anyone on their day but still searching for consistency in the final stretch of the campaign. Manuel Pellegrini’s men have mixed solid attacking displays with defensive lapses, as seen in their entertaining draw away to Real Sociedad, which finished 2-2. They have also shown they can dominate at home, sweeping aside Real Oviedo by 3-0, yet their back line remains vulnerable under sustained pressure. With Marc Bartra still working his way back from a foot problem and Ángel Ortiz struggling with muscle issues, Betis must rely heavily on their attacking talents to stay competitive in Barcelona.

Elche welcome Getafe to the Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero in a late-season LaLiga clash where both sides arrive with very different moods. Sebastián Beccacece’s team has pieced together a strong run at home in recent weeks, edging Valencia 1–0 and producing a thrilling 3–2 win over Atlético Madrid that underlined their attacking confidence. Even in defeat away to Betis, where they lost 2-1, Elche showed resilience and a clear game plan. With the club still pushing to consolidate a top-half finish, the atmosphere around Elche has been quietly optimistic over the past couple of months.

There has also been news on the squad front for Elche in recent weeks, with Rafael Mir, Yago Santiago and Adam Boayar all listed with injury problems that have slightly reduced Beccacece’s options in attack and midfield. Even so, Elche have continued to compete well, drawing 1–1 at home to Alavés—where the scoreline of 1-1 reflected a balanced contest—and previously winning 2–1 away at Real Oviedo and 3–2 at home to Atlético Madrid. The team’s ability to score in different ways, from set pieces to quick transitions, has been a recurring theme in the last two months.

Levante’s home date with Mallorca in LaLiga on 17 May 2026 at the Estadio Ciudad de Valencia arrives with real stakes attached, as the hosts sit 19th in the table on 36 points while the visitors are a little safer in mid‑table with 39. Recent weeks have underlined how thin the margins are: Levante’s league form over their last six has read W L D W W L, while Mallorca have pieced together D W L D W W across the same stretch. Statistical models built on this 2025‑26 campaign lean slightly toward a home win, giving Levante just over half the win probability and Mallorca a little under a quarter, which frames this as a tense, finely balanced encounter rather than a straightforward relegation scrap.

For Levante, the past couple of months have been about clinging to the positives of their attacking play while trying to tighten up at the back. The standout recent result was the dramatic home victory over Osasuna on 8 May 2026, where they edged a five‑goal thriller by 3-2, underlining their ability to score in bursts but also their vulnerability when protecting a lead. Carlos Espí has emerged as their leading scorer in the league with seven goals, supported by Iván Romero and Etta Eyong, both on five, and their creativity from wide areas and full‑back positions continues to generate chances. However, with 50 league goals conceded, Levante know that even at home they cannot afford lapses in concentration against a Mallorca side that punishes mistakes.

Osasuna approach this clash with a sense of stability after a mixed but competitive run of form in recent weeks. Their league campaign has included determined performances, and the squad has benefited from the return of several key players who had been managing minor injuries earlier in the spring. In the past two months, Osasuna have shown improved defensive structure, particularly at home, where they recently battled Atlético Madrid in a match detailed here: 1–1. Their tactical discipline has been a recurring theme, and the coaching staff has emphasized maintaining intensity from the opening whistle.

Another notable moment in Osasuna’s recent schedule came during their away fixture against Levante, a game that highlighted their ability to adapt under pressure. That encounter, which can be revisited here: 0–2, showcased their counterattacking sharpness and the growing influence of their midfield core. Additionally, their home meeting with Barcelona earlier this month, found here: 1–3, offered valuable lessons despite the defeat, as Osasuna managed to create several promising chances against one of the league’s most demanding opponents.

Real Oviedo welcome Deportivo Alavés to the Carlos Tartiere in a clash loaded with tension at the bottom of LaLiga. Guillermo Almada’s side have shown they can compete, even if results have been inconsistent. The recent stalemate against Getafe, a gritty 0-0 in which Oviedo finished with nine men after two red cards, underlined both their resilience and their disciplinary issues. Before that, they were outclassed away to Betis, that painful 3-0 defeat reminding everyone how thin their margin for error is in this relegation fight.

Even so, Oviedo’s season is not just a story of setbacks. At home they have occasionally sparked into life, despite the recent 1-2 loss to Elche that halted their momentum. Earlier in April they beat Sevilla 1-0 and produced a superb 3-0 win away at Celta, results that hinted at a team capable of rising to big occasions. The latest news around the club has focused on whether they can turn those isolated performances into a sustained push for survival, with the visit of Alavés framed as one of their last, best chances to drag another struggler directly into the mire.

Rayo Vallecano welcome Villarreal to Vallecas in the penultimate round of LaLiga with both sides arriving in encouraging form and with plenty at stake. Inigo Pérez has quietly steadied Rayo over the past two months, turning them into a compact, confident unit that has climbed into mid‑table safety while still flirting with the possibility of a top‑half finish. The recent draw against Girona, a tight contest that ended 1-1, underlined their resilience, even with key absences looming. Local talk has focused on how Rayo’s pressing intensity at home continues to unsettle technically gifted visitors, and Villarreal will be fully aware that Vallecas rarely offers a gentle evening.

Rayo’s last few weeks have been defined by a run of disciplined, low‑scoring performances that show a team comfortable suffering without the ball and then striking decisively. Wins away to Strasbourg and Getafe, by scorelines of 0-1 and 0-2, showcased their ability to manage games, defend deep when needed, and punish mistakes on the counter. At Vallecas, narrow victories over Espanyol and Strasbourg plus that wild 3-3 against Real Sociedad have kept confidence high. The main concern in the build‑up has been the suspension of Isi Palazón and the injury to Luiz Felipe, which slightly weakens both creativity and defensive stability just as the season reaches its decisive stretch.

Real Sociedad welcome Valencia to Anoeta in a clash that feels more about momentum than table position, with the hosts sitting mid‑pack after an inconsistent spring. In the last few weeks they have been involved in high‑tempo, open games, including the dramatic draw against Betis, where they had to settle for a 2-2 despite periods of dominance. Earlier, their defensive frailties were exposed again in Vallecas in another wild contest that finished 3-3, underlining how often their matches tilt into shootouts rather than controlled wins.

Off the pitch, Real Sociedad have made headlines by moving to bring Carlos Soler back to LaLiga from PSG, a deal that underlines their intent to refresh the midfield with more creativity and leadership. At the same time, they have had to juggle selection issues, with players like Jon Karrikaburu, Igor Zubeldia and Álvaro Odriozola dealing with injuries in recent weeks. Even so, the attacking core built around Mikel Oyarzabal, Takefusa Kubo and Gonçalo Guedes continues to generate chances, which is why they remain dangerous even when the overall form line shows more draws than wins.

Sevilla welcome Real Madrid to the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán on 17 May 2026 in a LaLiga clash that feels like two teams arriving from very different seasons. The hosts sit in mid-table, 13th with 40 points, but their mood has lifted since Luis García took over in March 2026, tightening the structure and giving them a clearer identity. Recent home wins over Espanyol and Real Sociedad have restored some confidence in front of their own fans, and the atmosphere in Nervión should be intense with Madrid in town and the season nearing its climax.

Form-wise, Sevilla’s last weeks have been a mix of resilience and fragility. They edged Espanyol by 2-1 and followed up with a narrow 1-0 victory over Real Sociedad, but defeats away to Osasuna and Levante reminded everyone that this is still a rebuilding side. Injuries to key defenders like Marcão and the absence of young midfielder Manu Bueno have forced constant tweaks to the back line. Even so, the team has shown more bite under García, pressing higher and trusting Isaac Romero and the wide players to break quickly in transition.