Athletic goes into a new derbi at Osasuna on the back of two straight league wins, with the visitors trying to keep their momentum alive and move one step closer to their goal of returning to Europe. For Osasuna, the match brings Jagoba Arrasate back into focus after Ramis was dismissed a few weeks ago and the coach returned to the bench.
That return has already brought mixed results. Arrasate's first match back ended in a win at El Sadar, but the next two were away defeats, a pattern that now sits awkwardly beside Osasuna's much stronger home form. The visit of Athletic always carries extra weight, and Osasuna has usually competed well in this fixture under Arrasate, which is why the derby still feels alive despite the wider numbers.
The contrast is sharper because Osasuna has lost its five latest league away matches, while Athletic arrives after consecutive victories and with the kind of rhythm that can change a season quickly. At the same time, Terzic's side is also not performing well away from Bilbao and lost its last away match against Levante, so the derby is not arriving in a vacuum but in a spell where both sides are carrying doubts in different places. The first half with victory in Vigo now feels far away in time, even if Athletic's recent run has put some life back into its season.
That is what makes today matter. Athletic began the round with a clearer path and, if it wins, it takes another step toward Europe before the second competitive break of the season. If it loses, Osasuna would be only one point behind at the start of this round, and the balance around the table shifts again. Osasuna started the round in fifteenth place, which leaves the derby as more than a local meeting: it is a chance to reset a season that has yet to find a steady shape.
The exact day, kickoff time and TV channel were not included in the available details, but the match itself is the next marker that matters. Athletic is chasing continuity, Osasuna is chasing a lift, and Arrasate is the one man in the middle who has already felt both sides of that pressure at El Sadar.
