Estadio La Cartuja will play host to the Copa del Rey final between Spanish giants Real Madrid and Osasuna.
Real Madrid will square up against Osasuna in the Copa del Rey final in search of their 20th title. Los Blancos have been inconsistent of late, but they hope that things go according to plan in this fixture because it could decide the fate of their manager Carlo Ancelotti. Meanwhile, Osasuna who are underdogs in this fixture will go all out to secure a historic win and lift their first Copa del Rey title.
Los Blancos have failed to defend their La Liga title this season, sitting 14 points behind leaders Barcelona with five games left. They have lost four of their last eight league games and face a tough Copa del Rey final against Osasuna. Despite their recent struggles, Real Madrid have the opportunity to end the season on a high note with the possibility of winning the Champions League as well as the Copa del Rey.
Real Madrid will be looking to secure their 20th Copa del Rey trophy against Osasuna. Although they have not won this competition since 2014, they have fought hard to reach the final, eliminating Atletico Madrid, Villarreal, and Barcelona along the way.
Meanwhile, Osasuna are the underdogs heading into the Copa del Rey final. But, they will be eager to win the competition for the first time in their history. They last made the final in 2005, losing to Real Betis and have not had much success in the competition since then.
However, they have defeated Real Betis, Sevilla, and Athletic Club to reach the final. Although Osasuna will enter this match on the back of successive defeats to Real Sociedad and Barcelona, they could still qualify for European competition next season through La Liga.
They have not defeated Real Madrid in any competition since a La Liga game in January 2011 and suffered a 2-0 loss when the two sides last met in Pamplona back in February. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at this fixture and tries to predict the tactics they could use.
Team News & Tactics
Real Madrid
Carlo Ancelotti has announced a full-strength Real Madrid squad for the final against Osasuna. Ferland Mendy might be making this trip with the team, but he is unlikely to feature in this encounter.
Meanwhile, Luka Modric has made a surprise return from injury. The Croatian veteran was expected to be out for 2-3 weeks and was a big doubt for this fixture. However, he has managed to return to training way before than expected.
📋✅ Our squad for the final 🆚 @osasuna_en !#CopaDelRey pic.twitter.com/UI1lCxd5vE
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) May 4, 2023
Ancelotti will start with the 4-3-3 formation, where Thibaut Courtois will be in goal. Dani Carvajal and David Alaba should be the full-backs for this fixture. Eder Militao should pair up with Antonio Rudiger in the heart of the defence.
Veteran stars Toni Kroos and Luka Modric should start in the centre of the park alongside Federico Valverde. The trio will not only look to dictate the pace of the game but also force the opposition into their own half. Meanwhile, Rodrygo should start on the right and Vinicius on the left. Star striker Karim Benzema will be leading the attack for the team.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Alaba; Valverde, Kroos, Modric; Rodrygo, Benzema, Vinicius
Osasuna
Jagoba Arrasate will be without the services of Darko Brasanac and Nacho Vidal for this fixture. Meanwhile, David Garcia and Jon Moncayola will be back in the mix for this all-important final.
📝🏆 SQUAD LIST | #Osasuna calls 24 players to face @realmadriden in the #CopaDelRey final.
➡️ https://t.co/cJRjg9Sjiu#ItsInOurSpirit | #RealMadridOsasuna pic.twitter.com/2v7ipUhBzT
— C. A. OSASUNA (@osasuna_en) May 5, 2023
The underdogs will go ahead with the 4-2-3-1 formation, where Sergio Herrera will be in goal. He has been their Copa del Rey goalkeeper throughout and the manager is expected to stick with him.
Aridane Hernandez and David Garcia will start in the heart of the defence. Meanwhile, Jon Moncayola and Juan Cruz will star out wide as the full-backs. Moi Gomez and Lucas Torro will start in the centre of the park as the double pivot. The duo will have the difficult task of keeping the Madrid midfield quiet.
Ruben Garcia will start out wide alongside Abde Ezzalzouli, the duo will provide the width to the attack. Meanwhile, Aimar Oroz will start as the attacking midfielder behind Kike Garcia who will spearhead the Osasuna attack in the Copa del Rey final against Los Blancos.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Herrera; Moncayola, Aridane, David Garcia, Cruz; Torro, Moi Gomez; Ruben Garcia, Oroz, Ezzalzouli; Kike Garcia
Key Stats
- Real Madrid and Osasuna have squared up against each other on 24 occasions. Madrid have won 16 of those matches.
- Vinicius Junior has six goal contributions in his four Copa del Rey outings.
- Federico Valverde has 18 goal contributions in his 49 outings this season.
- Osasuna’s Chimy Avila has nine goal contributions in 21 league starts so far.
- Los Blancos have scored the most goals in the league this season having found the back of the net on 69 occasions.
Player to Watch
Federico Valverde
Every time the stakes are high, Federico Valverde tends to deliver for Real Madrid. The 24-year-old midfielder did it for Los Blancos in the Champions League final next season, and Carlo Ancelotti will hope that he delivers yet again.
Valverde has featured in 49 matches this season, the 24-year-old has been used as a right winger as well as a central midfielder. And, he has done a great job in both roles. He has 12 goals and six assists in the ongoing season and will be eager to add to it in the final.
Prediction
Real Madrid 3-1 Osasuna
Real Madrid are the clear favourites heading into this match, given their superior quality and experience compared to Osasuna. Los Blancos are a team that always performs well in big matches, and they will be determined to end their season with a trophy.
On the other hand, Osasuna will be eager to cause an upset and win their first-ever Copa del Rey title. They have already shown that they are capable of beating top sides, having defeated Real Betis, Sevilla, and Athletic Bilbao on their way to the final. However, they might not have enough in their tank to overtake the Merengues. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for Carlo Ancelotti and his charges.
