Barcelona goes to Osasuna for Matchday 3 of La Liga, and the biggest question will be if Lionel Messi plays after missing nearly all of the preseason. The superstar picked up an injury just before the start of the season that kept him out of the first two games. Barca looked rough in the opener without him, but Ernesto Valverde's team bounced back well to crush Real Betis, 5-2, on Sunday with Antoine Griezmann scoring twice.
Here's how you can watch the match and what to know:
La Liga: Barcelona vs. Osasuna
- Date: Saturday, Aug. 31
- Time: 11 a.m. ET
- Location: Estadio El Sadar
- TV channel: beIN Sports
- Streaming: fuboTV (Try for free)
- Odds: Barcelona -350 | Osasuna +950 | Draw +425
Storylines
Barcelona: Barca looks like it could still be without Messi due to injury, and Luis Suarez is also recovering from a knock. All eyes will be on whether Antoine Griezmann can build on his two-goal performance from last time out. If he can score or set up a goal, Barca should be well on its way to a win.
Osasuna: Tricky game of course, and the best course of action will be to defend in numbers and go on the counter -- something Barca has struggled with even against lower-level teams. Osasuna doesn't have a lot of firepower but has the belief in getting a result.
Barcelona vs. Osasuna prediction
Griezmann scores again, Messi returns and scores and Barcelona wins.
Pick: Barcelona 3, Osasuna 1
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