Arrasate calls Osasuna’s defeat by Deportivo “very painful”

“It is a very painful defeat,” Arrasate said after Osasuna lost to Deportivo. The coach believes his team should have kept the ball more: after the equaliser, it dropped too deep and failed to put together the spells of possession needed to defend better.

Osasuna had taken the lead through Budimir in the first half. Deportivo drew level, and Nsongo Bil scored the decisive goal in the 87th minute to turn the match around. Arrasate also stressed the cost of the away defeat: Osasuna had already conceded twice away from home in its previous match, then let in two more against Deportivo. “We need to be more solid away from home,” he said, regretting that his side had lost after starting the match in front.

The league table gives a measure of the stakes for Osasuna: the club sit 15th in La Liga on 11 points after 11 matches. They have three wins, two draws and six defeats, with 11 goals scored and 22 conceded. Across their last five La Liga games, they have managed one win and one draw, alongside three defeats.

For Arrasate, the problems began early. He acknowledged that his side had started badly and made two mistakes, while Sergio impressed and kept his team in the match. Osasuna then improved, scored after a high press and finished the first half well.

The coach expected Deportivo to raise the pressure after the break and alter the course of the game with its substitutions. He pinpointed a loss of possession in midfield, followed by what he considered a “slightly dubious” foul, before Soriano’s goal. Arrasate also described Adama’s contribution: a good individual move and a cross that led to the goal. In his view, defending for too long eventually proved costly for Osasuna.