Osasuna put Barcelona to the sword on Saturday and nobody did more to cut through the visitors to El Sadar than Bryan Zaragoza.
The 23-year-old raced through on goal, sat down Iñaki Peña and finished into the empty net to give Los Rojillos a 2-0 lead that would ultimately culminate in a 4-2 victory. This was after Zaragoza had set up the opener. He was a constant threat.
Of course, LaLiga fans already knew Zaragoza to be capable of moments like these. The winger was a star performer for Granada in the first half of the 2023/24 season, contributing eight goal contributions (six goals and two assists) in just 21 appearances for the promoted side. He also forced his way into the Spanish national team fold.
Europe’s elite were watching and Bayern Munich moved, signing Zaragoza for a fee of around €20m in this year’s January transfer window. Many saw the Spaniard as the perfect solution for a Bayern team that needed another wide option, but Zaragoza failed to make much of an impression in seven Bundesliga appearances in the second half of last season.
With Michael Olise arriving at the Allianz Arena this summer, it became clear that Zaragoza had no role in Vincent Kompany’s team, leading the 23-year-old to join Osasuna on loan for the 2024/25 campaign. As ill-advised as the transfer to Bayern Munich was as a career decision, the return to LaLiga has allowed Zaragoza to shine again.
Sitting in seventh place, Osasuna have made a strong start to the new season, losing just two of their eight fixtures so far. Vicente Moreno’s team have yet to lose at El Sadar, giving them the best home record in all of LaLiga. Saturday’s win over Barcelona was no fluke – this has become the norm for Osasuna in front of their own supporters.
Los Rojillos have made a habit of finishing in mid-table in recent years, even finishing a lofty seventh two seasons ago. While Osasuna once bounced between Spain’s top two divisions, they have now established themselves as a permanent fixture in LaLiga. Now, though, Osasuna want to break through the glass ceiling that has stopped them rising any further.
El Sadar has been expanded and redeveloped at a cost of €21m to increase Osasuna’s matchday revenue. The youth academy has also been renovated to strengthen the pathway into the first team that has helped produce first team figures like Aimar Oroz and Abel Bretones. Osasuna continue to over-achieve on a budget that is a fraction of most of their rivals.
And yet sporting director Braulio Vázquez has dipped into the transfer market to add quality when it makes sense – and it certainly made sense to sign Zaragoza when Bayern Munich didn’t want him. The 23-year-old has added flair and some much-needed individualism to a team that was well-coached and well-drilled last season, but lacked a difference-maker in the final third.
Zaragoza and Ante Budimir have quickly forged an understanding, as demonstrated by the way the pair linked up to open the scoring against Barcelona. As a physical focal point, there are few better than Budimir in Spain’s top division and the Croatian striker now has Zaragoza as a supply line to rely on.
As brightly as Zaragoza shone against Barcelona, he can still deliver more on a consistent basis. He hadn’t scored for Osasuna this season before finding the back of the net on Saturday. By Zaragoza’s own admission, he must start scoring more regularly to achieve his full potential as a goal-dangerous wide attacker.
There is something about Zaragoza that is a throwback to another era. He is an old school winger in the way his first thought is to take on opponents. He is Osasuna’s most prolific dribbler and is most effective when he has the freedom to drive forward with the ball at his feet. The second smallest player in LaLiga can be a big threat.
In hindsight, Zaragoza wasn’t ready for the jump up to a club like Bayern Munich. He hadn’t even played a full season in LaLiga when the Bundesliga giants came calling. The talent was clear, but Zaragoza needed more time to refine his game and that’s what he has now at Osasuna. This could be the most important season of his career.
Zaragoza has already played more minutes for Osasuna this season than he did for Bayern Munich last season. Not only did the win over Barca highlight the 23-year-old’s quality, it demonstrated the potential of Los Rojillos as a team that could disrupt LaLiga’s upper echelons. They will need more moments like the ones Zaragoza proved against Barcelona for that to happen.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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