Osasuna and Espanyol moved straight into matchday 37 with osasuna - rcd espanyol lineups that carried real weight: both clubs were level on 42 points and had not yet secured survival. Víctor Muñoz went back into Osasuna’s XI immediately, while the home side also welcomed Sergio Herrera back after his nine-day suspension.
Osasuna’s 4-3-3
Alessio Lisci settled on a 4-3-3 with Herrera in goal behind Valentin Rosier, Enzo Boyomo, Alejandro Catena and Abel Bretones. Lucas Torró, Jon Moncayola and Rubén García filled the midfield, with Aimar Oroz ahead of them and Muñoz joining Ante Budimir in the front line.
That shape came with two direct changes from Osasuna’s previous setup. Bretones replaced Javi Galán at left back, and Oroz took over Moi Gómez’s attacking midfield role, while Raúl Moro was the only forced absence for the squad.
Espanyol’s returning forwards
Manolo González answered with Marko Dmitrovic; Omar El Hilali, Clemens Riedel, Leandro Cabrera and Carlos Romero; Urko González de Zárate, Pol Lozano and Edu Expósito; Tyrhys Dolan, Pere Milla and Kike García. Fernando Calero was back in the squad but stayed on the bench.
Pere Milla returned to the starting lineup after scoring against Athletic, and Kike García kept his place after scoring the second goal in that match. Dolan started on the right wing ahead of Rubén Sánchez, giving Espanyol a different look in a game they entered after recording their first win of 2026.
Survival at 42 points
The cleanest read on this fixture was the table. Osasuna and Espanyol arrived level on 42 points, so the lineups were not just about form but about who could push toward safety first with one league matchday left for both sides. Herrera’s return also mattered after the direct red card he served nine days earlier in the Ciutat de València.
For Osasuna, the return of Muñoz straight into the XI suggested Lisci was willing to alter the attack rather than wait. For Espanyol, the mix of Milla, García and Dolan showed González keeping the same core that had just delivered that first 2026 win, even with Javi Puado and Cyril Ngonge out injured.
