Luka Modric was superb again but attack failed to deliver as Real Madrid were held to a goalless draw by Osasuna at El Sadar on Saturday.
In what ended up being a drab encounter, chances came few and far between for both Real Madrid and Osasuna, with just one shot on target between the two sides in the first half. That sole chance came from hosts Osasuna, as Thibaut Courtois made a fine save to deny Oier. Real Madrid did conjure up a few openings post the interval but did not really force Sergio Herrera into a huge save.
Osasuna, on the other hand, hardly tested Courtois in the second period, as the game petered out into a goalless stalemate. The result meant Real Madrid are a point behind La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid, who have three games in hand after their game with Athletic Bilbao got postponed. The Hard Tackle now runs the rule over Zinedine Zidane’s men.
Thibaut Courtois: 7/10
There was not a whole lot that Courtois had to do in the game, with Osasuna failing to create many meaningful opportunities. The Real Madrid no. 1, though, did make a top-class save to deny Oier in the best chance for the first half. A quiet game otherwise for the Belgian, who misplaced just five passes.
Lucas Vazquez: 7/10
With Dani Carvajal suspended, Lucas Vazquez was deployed as a makeshift right-back, and the Spaniard once again impressed. The 29-year-old was a constant outlet down his flank and had the second most number of touches on the night with 115. Created a couple of chances and boasted a fine pass completion rate of 91 percent. One of those who never stopped trying.
Raphael Varane: 7/10
A solid display by Varane, who hardly put a foot wrong whenever Osasuna did look to take the game to Real Madrid. The Frenchman did well to cover the spaces left vacated by the marauding Vazquez, meaning the hosts could never pounce. Imposing in the air, he won a couple of aerial duels while playing a key role in build-up play.
Sergio Ramos: 6/10
A performance that was just par for the course. Ramos saw a lot of the ball on the night and was typically seen higher up the pitch often, all while keeping a solid passing rate of 95 percent. However, there were a couple of nervy moments at the back and the Real Madrid captain was lucky that Osasuna did not take advantage.
Ferland Mendy: 6/10
A game of hits and misses for Mendy. The Frenchman was hardly tested at the back, although he did win each of the three aerial duels he contested. Going forward, though, there were a few wasted opportunities, though he did play in a couple of key passes.
Luka Modric: 7/10
The standout performer for Real Madrid going forward, Modric once again looked to make things happen and did so successfully a few times. The ageless wonder looked to pick out teammates in pockets of spaces and came close to scoring on a couple of occasions. Alas, it was not to be for him on the day.
Casemiro: 7/10
A big reason why Osasuna did not really threaten Real Madrid on the night. Casemiro completely shut the gates on the hosts through the central areas, winning 10 duels over the course of the game. Even stitched together a couple of key passes, looking to engineer the opportunities while also aiming a couple of shots at goal.
Toni Kroos: 6/10
Kroos: "We missed something upfront. We controlled the game but didn't create chances, very few. We should've done more with our quality. The condition of the pitch isn't an excuse since both teams played in the same conditions." #OSARMA pic.twitter.com/07g0E7p9LE
— M•A•J (@Ultra_Suristic) January 9, 2021
It was a game of two halves for Kroos. The German international was too deep far too often in the first half, which contributed towards the fact that Real Madrid did not have a single shot on target in the first half. Was much more involved going forward post the interval, but still did not manage to create any clear-cut opportunities. Needs to do better.
Marco Asensio: 5/10
Stationed on the right-wing owing to the return of Eden Hazard, Asensio took some time to adjust to the position. The Spaniard, though, came the closest to scoring for Real Madrid, only to be denied by Osasuna goalkeeper Sergio Herrera. However, he faded dramatically as the game went on and failed to get into dangerous areas before being taken off.
Karim Benzema: 5/10
Benzema’s frustrations continued on Sunday, as he found himself on the periphery for large parts of the game. The Frenchman often had to drop too deep to see some action and his first touch let him down on one occasion when Hazard did create a half-chance. Ended up creating one chance, but that was too late in the game.
Eden Hazard: 6/10
Back into the starting lineup at long last, Hazard took some time to get going. The Belgian winger, though, showed some neat touches when he finally found his feet and created a decent opening for Benzema as well. However, he is still well off his best and needs to rediscover his top form soon, with key games approaching.
Hazard started today.
? RMCF director Butragueño: "Hazard is a first class player. I've seen him well today, he showed personality & was constantly asking for the ball." pic.twitter.com/IKB9YAM0og
— ????? ⚡️ (@_pauliiita) January 9, 2021
SUBSTITUTES
Federico Valverde: 5/10
On for Asensio, Valverde struggled to get into the game in the final quarter of the proceedings. His form has tailed off massively, which will be a concern for Zidane.
Isco: N/A
Given the final 15 minutes to make an impact, but Isco hardly made things happen.
Mariano Diaz: N/A
Did not have enough time to make an impact, with Real Madrid’s gameplay being quite stale.
