Canaries to face tough Spanish opposition before competitive fixtures begin
Norwich City will round off a busy pre-season programme with a friendly against Spanish La Liga side Osasuna on Saturday afternoon as the club intensifies preparation for the 2026-27 campaign.
The match comes after a string of summer fixtures in which the Canaries have produced a mixture of encouraging results and work-in-progress performances. Norwich have so far recorded victories over King's Lynn, St Gallen and Fulham, and draws with Colchester United and AFC Wimbledon. The 2-0 win over Premier League side Fulham most recently provided a morale boost ahead of the trip to Spain.
- Pre-season wins: King's Lynn, St Gallen, Fulham
- Draws: Colchester United, AFC Wimbledon
- New signings this summer: Sam Field, Bruno Alves, Andre Brooks
The friendly with Osasuna is one of Norwich's final tune-ups before competitive action resumes. The Canaries open their season in the EFL Cup on 8 August away to MK Dons, with the Championship campaign starting on 15 August at home to West Bromwich Albion. Last season Philippe Clement's side finished ninth, eight points short of the play-off places, and supporters will be watching pre-season closely for signs of an improved push next term.
Osasuna arrive after mixed pre-season, bring top‑flight experience
Osasuna enter the fixture off a 2-1 victory over Ipswich Town and opened their own preparations with a 2-0 win against Racing Santander. The Spanish club have scheduled further friendlies against Napoli and Al-Ain before beginning their La Liga campaign at home to Celta Vigo on 16 August.
Los Rojillos made a single signing this summer, acquiring Jonathan Dubasin from Sporting Gijón. Last season they narrowly avoided relegation from La Liga, finishing 17th — level on points with 18th-placed Mallorca.
| Team | Recent pre-season form | Next competitive start |
|---|---|---|
| Norwich City | W D W D W | EFL Cup v MK Dons, 8 August |
| Osasuna | W W | La Liga v Celta Vigo, 16 August |
Team selection for the friendly is expected to resemble the side that faced Fulham, with forwards such as Mathias Kvistgaarden and Anis Ben Slimane likely to feature as Clement continues to assess attacking options ahead of the competitive matches.
"The Canaries will begin their new season in the EFL Cup on August 8 against MK Dons,"
For Norwich, the Osasuna game represents more than another fixture – it is a barometer of where the squad stands against opposition from a top European division. Results are useful, but the primary focus for the coaching staff will be sharpening match fitness, testing tactical variations and integrating summer signings before the first competitive whistle in August.
Fans travelling to Spain or watching at home will be looking for positives: solidity at the back, consistent goal threat and signs that the additions made this summer can help close the gap to the Championship play-off places that Norwich missed by eight points last term.
