Osasuna vs Villarreal preview - Flano confident of survival

Posted Saturday, May 21, 2011 by PA

Osasuna will again have to depend on their excellent home form if they are to guarantee their place in the Primera Division this weekend.

The Pamplona club have claimed 33 of their 44 points this season at the Reyno De Navarra and need just one more at home to Villarreal to secure their top-flight survival.

Defender Miguel Flano is confident that they will not face the drop come Saturday night:

"The match has a smell of salvation, of extreme importance, of necessity," he told the club's website.

"We will give our all in the final game for the objectives of the club and of the fans. We are optimistic.

"Throughout everything (this season) we have demonstrated the Osasuna spirit and our ground has been a fortress. We are still not done and because of that this is the final effort on the part of everyone.

"The players need to be the first ones to confront the game with confidence, all the tension and responsibility falls on us.

"We have things in our own hands. We feel good and have a committed support. It is not going to be easy because of the strength of our opponents. Villarreal have had a fantastic season but we will give everything from the first minute to the last."

Defeat last weekend to Real Madrid meant that Villarreal will have to settle for fourth place and a qualifying round if they are to progress to the Champions League group phase next season. However, it has been a remarkably successful season for Juan Carlos Garrido in his first full term in the job.

Garrido is expected to recall Santi Cazorla and Nilmar to the starting line-up after both were rested against Madrid.