Ademola Lookman’s Atlético Madrid vs Osasuna: La Liga preview, team news, h2h

Ademola Lookman is expected to lead the line for Atlético Madrid once more when Diego Simeone’s side host Osasuna in La Liga matchday six on Wednesday September 16, Afrik-Foot reports.

The Super Eagles forward started up front in the 3-0 win at Real Sociedad, and with Alexander Sørloth and Pablo Barrios both sidelined through injury, he remains one of Simeone’s few senior attacking options who is fully fit.

Atlético Madrid go into the match in fourth place on 10 points from five games, following a mixed start that has combined home comfort with two damaging away defeats.

Osasuna sit 11th on seven points from the same number of matches, having lost their last two league games after an encouraging opening month under new head coach Luis Miguel Ramis.

Wednesday’s meeting is also a chance for Atlético Madrid to build confidence before a Madrid derby against Real Madrid arrives four days later.

Atlético Madrid vs Osasuna: Form and context

Atlético Madrid have won three, drawn one and lost one of their opening five league matches this season.

The sequence began with a 2-0 win over Málaga on August 19, followed by a 2-2 draw with Villarreal four days later, before a 3-1 victory away at Sevilla on August 29.

That form unravelled at Athletic Club on September 5, where Simeone’s side lost 0-3 in Bilbao, and the wobble continued three days later when Liverpool won 2-1 at Anfield in the Champions League opener.

Atlético Madrid steadied themselves with a 3-0 win at Real Sociedad on September 13, a result built on three goals scored inside the final 10 minutes of the match.

At home specifically, Atlético Madrid have taken four points from two league fixtures at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano this season, winning one and drawing one.

Osasuna have managed two wins, one draw and two defeats from their opening five matches, and sit on seven points, level with four other clubs in the table.

Ramis’ side opened with back-to-back results of a 0-0 draw with Levante and a 2-1 win at Celta Vigo, then beat Getafe 1-0 at El Sadar on August 31.

The form has since dipped, with a 5-2 defeat at Deportivo Alavés on September 6 followed by a 0-2 home loss to Espanyol on September 12.

Away from El Sadar this season, Osasuna have taken just one win from two league matches, the victory at Celta Vigo, against the defeat at Alavés.

Atlético Madrid have Real Madrid to look forward to on September 20, and a positive response against Osasuna would go a long way toward settling any nerves before that derby arrives.

MATCH RADAR
Fixture	Atlético Madrid vs Osasuna
Competition	La Liga, matchday six
Venue	Riyadh Air Metropolitano, Madrid
Date	September 16, 2026
Referee	Yet to be appointed
Atlético Madrid form	W-D-W-L-W (last five, La Liga)
Osasuna form	D-W-W-L-L (last five, La Liga)
Naija watch	Ademola Lookman starts up front for the hosts

Atlético Madrid and Osasuna head-to-head record

Wednesday’s game is the first of two scheduled league meetings between the sides this season, with the return fixture to follow at El Sadar later in the campaign.

The two clubs last met on May 12, when Atlético Madrid won 2-1 away at El Sadar in the corresponding fixture from last season’s table.

Atlético Madrid also won 1-0 at home in October 2025, and hold the upper hand across their last five meetings in all competitions, with three wins to two defeats and no draws.

The most one-sided of those recent meetings came on May 19, 2024, when Osasuna won 4-1 at the Metropolitano, a rare heavy home defeat for Simeone’s side against this opponent.

Across their full history in all competitions, Atlético Madrid have won 52 of the 95 meetings between the sides, with Osasuna winning 29 and 14 ending level.

Team news: Lookman starts as Atlético Madrid manage an injury crisis

Robin Le Normand returns to contention after serving his La Liga suspension, giving Simeone a fresh centre-back option to call upon.

Alexander Sørloth remains sidelined with a muscle injury and is not expected back until late September.

Pablo Barrios is also out through injury, while Julián Álvarez is a doubt after picking up a muscle overload in training that ruled him out of the win at Real Sociedad, with no firm return date yet confirmed.

Jonathan David is pushing for more minutes after making his Atlético Madrid debut against Liverpool, and could be an option from the bench if Simeone wants a direct replacement up top.

For Osasuna, Jorge Herrando, Moi Gómez and Aimar Oroz are all sidelined through injury, while Valentin Rosier is a doubt but has returned to training.

Rockson Yeboah has stepped into the void left by Herrando at centre-back and impressed enough to keep his place, while Romain Del Castillo is close to his first Osasuna minutes after being included in the matchday squad against Espanyol.

Star player watch: Baena vs Budimir

Álex Baena has been Atlético Madrid’s standout performer in the final third this season, and Ante Budimir carries that same weight for Osasuna.

ÁLEX BAENA	STAT	ANTE BUDIMIR
Spain	Nationality	Croatia
25	Age	35
Five	League apps	Five
Three	Goals	Four
7.54	Season rating	7.68

The Managers: Simeone and Ramis compared

Diego Simeone remains one of the most enduring figures in modern football management, having overseen 536 matches in charge of Atlético Madrid with a win rate of 61 percent and an average of 2.05 points per game.

That longevity has made Simeone synonymous with the club’s defensively disciplined identity, and his side will be keen to add to it with a routine home win before derby week.

Luis Miguel Ramis is in his first season as Osasuna head coach, having replaced Alessio Lisci over the summer, and has made a solid opening impression with a 40 percent win rate and 1.4 points per game so far.

Ramis has stuck largely with the core of players who kept Osasuna in La Liga last term, favouring evolution over wholesale changes to a squad built on defensive organisation and physical presence up front.

Tactical preview: How Atlético Madrid and Osasuna could line up

Atlético Madrid lined up in a three-four-two-one system in the win at Real Sociedad, with Grimaldo and Giuliano Simeone pushing forward from wing-back to overload the width.

That shape asks a lot of Hancko and Romero in the back three, and Osasuna’s front four of Budimir, Barja and the two García forwards will look to exploit any gaps left behind the advancing wing-backs on the counter-attack.

Osasuna set up with a settled back four in their last outing, protected by the double pivot of Moncayola and Iker Muñoz, a platform built to absorb pressure before releasing Budimir’s hold-up play.

Budimir’s aerial strength and movement in the box give Osasuna a genuine outlet even when they are second-best for possession, and set-pieces could prove a route back into the match if Atlético Madrid dominate the run of play as expected.

With Baena and Lookman combining as the two most advanced attacking options for the hosts, Atlético Madrid’s best route through will likely come from quick combinations between the lines rather than a direct aerial approach, given Sørloth’s continued absence removes their most physical central-striking option.

Betting tips and predictions for Atlético Madrid vs Osasuna

Final score prediction

SCORE PREDICTION
Atlético Madrid	2-1	Osasuna

Atlético Madrid should have enough in attack to see off an Osasuna side that has lost its last two league matches, with Lookman or Baena the likeliest sources of goals for the hosts.

Budimir remains too reliable in front of goal to be kept quiet all afternoon, and a consolation strike for Osasuna feels the realistic outcome given how open Atlético Madrid have looked defensively for spells this season.