Malaga vs Osasuna Predictions & Betting Tips, Match Previews

It has been a busy summer at Malaga who are looking to build on a solid campaign which saw them finish 8th, almost entirely on the back of a strong defence. The departure of highly rated coach Javi Gracia was a blow, he’s been replaced by former Spurs and Sevilla boss Juande Ramos.

They’ve managed to avoid losing any key players though and have done some good business with the likes of Keko and Uruguayan forward Michel Santos coming in to hopefully bolster their attack, which was severely lacking in quality last term. Not including penalty shoot-outs they were unbeaten in 9 pre-season games and they played some decent sides including Sampdoria, so things are looking up for them as they head into the new campaign.

They should have too much for newly promoted Osasuna here. The Pamplona club sneaked into the play-offs in the Segunda Division last term and beat Girona to seal promotion. However, they’ve barely strengthened their squad and to go into a top flight season with virtually the same team that finished 6th in the Segunda Division is asking for trouble.

The departure of promising youngster Mikel Merino to Borussia Dortmund was a further blow for them and they’ve had a nightmare pre-season.  This was capped by a 5-1 defeat against a Rayo Vallecano side that was relegated from La Liga last term. In short, they don’t exactly come into this game in good shape and this game feels like a home banker.

Therefore backing Malaga to win at 4/6 looks a safe bet here.