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A place in the last 16 of the Copa del Rey is up for grabs as Segunda Division hopefuls Girona face an uphill task at home to keep La Liga side Osasuna at bay on Thursday.
But the sixth-placed side in Spain's second tier carry good form into this match and their rivals have lost their last two games, making this tie more intriguing than it appears on paper.
Girona beat Huesca 1-0 to reach the second round, while Osasuna had to claw back from a deficit to beat Deportivo la Coruna 2-1.
Girona began their Segunda campaign in the worst possible fashion, winning just two of 10 games, but have turned things around with flair and now sit in a playoff berth.
Osasuna, meanwhile, have flattered to deceive in La Liga. They are six points clear of the drop zone, with 19 rounds behind them.
Girona vs Osasuna Head-to-Head
It's been a while since these two sides last met, with their last meeting taking place in 2016. In seven games, the honors have more or less been evenly shared, with Osasuna winning three and Girona two. The other two games ended in stalemates.
Girona form (all competitions): W-W-W-D-W
Osasuna form (all competitions): L-L-W-D-D
Girona vs Osasuna team news
Girona
Winger Oscar Urena might return to the team for this game, alongside midfielders Ramon Terrats and Dario Sarmiento. Striker Cristhian Stuani has picked up a coronavirus infection.
Injured: None
Doubtful: Oscar Urena, Ramon Terrats, Dario Sarmiento, Pablo Moreno
Unavailable: Cristhian Stuani
Osasuna
The visitors have also been hit by the scourge of COVID-19, with Darko Brasanac testing positive for the virus. Fullback Jesus Areso has been sidelined since December 8 after fracturing his fibula.
Injured: Jesus Areso, Ariadne Hernandez
Unavailable: Darko Brasanac
Girona vs Osasuna probable XI
Girona probable XI (3-4-3): Adrian Ortola; Juanpe, Bernardo Espinosa, Santiago Bueno; Jairo Izquiredo, Ibrahima Kebe, Choco Lozano, Jordi Calavera; Ricard Artero, Nahuel Bustos, Valery Fernandez
Osasuna probable XI (4-4-2): Sergio Herrera; Jose Angel, Ruben Garcia, Oier Sanjurjo, Jonas Ramalho; Javier Ontiveros, Juan Perez, Javi Martinez, Roberto Torres; Kike, Ante Budimir
Girona vs Osasuna prediction
This might go the home team's way, with Girona in fine goalscoring form and looking indomitable at home. On the other hand, Osasuna have hit an indifferent patch in the league and are placed 14th. There might not be too much of a difference between the two sides on the pitch on Thursday despite them coming from different divisions.
The pressure of knockout cup football might also wear heavy on the visitors. We are going with an upset Girona win in this one.
Prediction: Girona 2-1 Osasuna
