Arrasate returns to Osasuna for Racing test as hosts seek to end slump

Osasuna host Racing de Santander at 14:00 with an immediate objective: to end their poor run. The match marks Jagoba Arrasate’s return to the Navarrese dugout. It also brings Osasuna up against a Cantabrian side that had not played in Pamplona since 2014 and has struggled away from home.

Arrasate returns to El Sadar 876 days after his last home match at the stadium. Reappointed on Monday, he takes charge of his first game since returning, replacing Luis Miguel Ramis, who was dismissed after failing to turn the team around. The coach wants to win and end Osasuna’s poor run. His return, and the positive memories of his previous spell, have renewed the supporters’ enthusiasm.

The new coach will be able to call on the returning Kike Barja and Raúl Moro. Racing, meanwhile, are seeking their first away points of the season. As they did the previous week, they face a team with a new coach: their earlier opponent was Valencia, coached by Javier Aguirre. For this match, the Asturian coach cannot call on injured Eriksson, while Manu Hernando has stayed in Santander for a technical decision. A thousand Racing supporters are expected to travel to Pamplona.

The stakes are also reflected in the Liga table: Osasuna are 16th with 8 points after 8 matches, while Espanyol, in 12th, have the same number of points. Osasuna’s record is 2 wins, 2 draws and 4 defeats, with 8 goals scored and 18 conceded. Across their last 5 matches, they have no wins, alongside 1 draw and 4 defeats.

At home, Osasuna have 1 win, 2 draws and 1 defeat from 4 matches, scoring 2 goals and conceding 3. Away, their record is 1 win and 3 defeats in 4 games, with 6 goals scored and 15 conceded. Across their Liga matches, they average 1 goal scored and 2.25 conceded per game. Arrasate’s return therefore begins with an important opportunity to get the team moving again.