Osasuna 2-0 Atletico Madrid: Catena and Budimir boost European dream
Osasuna closed the gap to eighth-placed Rayo Vallecano by beating Atletico Madrid 2-0, as their rivals were pegged back by Real Betis.
Osasuna secured a surprise 2-0 home win over Atletico Madrid in LaLiga as headers from Alejandro Catena and Ante Budimir boosted their European hopes.
Atletico had already secured Champions League qualification for 2025-26 with a 4-0 rout of Real Sociedad on Saturday, while Osasuna were looking to close the gap to Rayo Vallecano in eighth – a position that will be enough to secure Conference League football.
Defender Catena headed a Bryan Zaragoza corner past the rooted Jan Oblak to put the hosts in front in the 25th minute, between two costly misses from Atleti's Alexander Sorloth.
Diego Simeone's visitors continued to dominate possession as they sought a way back into the contest, but after a scrappy passage of play in midfield, Budimir got across his marker to convert Kike Barja's cross with a fine diving header eight minutes from time.
The result saw Osasuna leapfrog Mallorca to go ninth in the table, following the latter's last-gasp defeat to Real Madrid on Wednesday.
Vicente Moreno's Osasuna are now only outside the top eight on goal difference, sitting a single goal behind Rayo Vallecano with two games remaining.
Vallecano squandered a 2-0 lead in a 2-2 draw with Real Betis elsewhere on Thursday, as their own Conference League hopes took a blow.
Jorge de Frutos scored Vallecano's opener, pouncing on the rebound after Pedro Diaz struck the crossbar from 35 yards out, then Florian Lejeune put them two up with a low free-kick from the left corner of the box.
However, Cucho Hernandez slid a neat finish inside the near post to get Betis back into the contest, then Isco's 61st-minute penalty got the visitors level, with Vallecano missing several chances for a winner late on.
Data debrief: Budimir follows Suker and Peternac
Osasuna qualified for the Conference League with a seventh-placed finish in LaLiga two years ago, though they were dumped out in the play-off round of the competition.
Their hopes of another – hopefully longer – European adventure were boosted on Thursday, with games against struggling duo Espanyol and Alaves remaining for them.
Budimir's diving header clinched the points for the hosts, as he became the third Croatian to score 20 goals in a single season in LaLiga, after Davor Suker (24 with Sevilla in 1993-94, 24 with Real Madrid in 1996-97) and Alen Peternac (23 with Real Valladolid in 1996-97).