Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid will be looking to return to winning ways when they host Osasuna on Saturday afternoon.
Real Madrid have lost back-to-back games at the Santiago Bernabeu and alarm bells have started to ring for Carlo Ancelotti’s team, who will be eager to get things back on track against CA Osasuna, who have made an impressive start to the new campaign.
Los Blancos are second on the points table with 24 points in XI outings. They are nine points behind league leaders Barcelona with a game in hand. While they have not been at their best since the start of the season, Real Madrid were getting the desired results more often than not.
But, that has not been the case in their last two home outings. Real Madrid were first thrashed by Barcelona in the league, and they ended up suffering a humiliating defeat at the hands of AC Milan this week. Now, they will look to ensure they do not make it three consecutive defeats.
Meanwhile, the visitors have accumulated 21 points in 12 outings, and they are fifth on the points table with six wins, three draws and three defeats. They have won their last two league outings and will be high on confidence.
Osasuna are heading into this fixture on the back of a 5-0 win over Chiclana in the Copa del Rey. While Real Madrid will present a completely different challenge, the away team will be looking to make it three wins in a row. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Real Madrid
Aurelien Tchouameni picked up a blow in their last outing and is expected to be out for a month. He has joined Thibaut Courtois, Dani Carvajal, and David Alaba on the sidelines. While Federico Valverde came off against AC Milan with a back issue, he is expected to be fit to start here.
Carlo Ancelotti could shift back to the 4-3-3 formation, with Rodrygo coming back into the starting XI. Andriy Lunin will continue in goal, while Lucas Vazquez and Ferland Mendy will be the full-backs and Eder Militao should partner Antonio Rudiger in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Eduardo Camavinga will take up the role of a defensive midfielder, while Valverde and Jude Bellingham should be in his support. They will try to control the tempo of the game.
Higher up the pitch, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo will feature on the flanks, while Kylian Mbappe should continue to lead the line. Given the kind of results Madrid have had of late, expect Arda Guler, Endrick and Brahim Diaz to regularly have a cameo off the bench.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Lunin; Vazquez, Militao, Rudiger, Mendy; Valverde, Camavinga, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius
Osasuna
The visitors have a fully-fit squad, and Moreno is expected to stick to the XI that started in their last league outing. Osasuna will line up in a 4-3-3 formation against Real Madrid, with Sergio Herrera in goal.
The back four will comprise Jesus Areso, Alejandro Catena, Flavien Enzo Boyomo and Juan Cruz. Arseo and Cruz will be on the flanks, while Boyomo and Catena will be in the heart of the defence.
In the centre of the park, Lucas Torro will start alongside Jon Moncayola and Aimar Oroz. While it will be very difficult for them to have enough of the ball, they will look to ensure Real Madrid do not dominate the proceedings. Ruben Pena and Bryan Zaragoza will feature on the flanks providing the width to their attacks, while Ante Budimir will continue to lead the line.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Herrera; Areso, Catena, Boyomo, Cruz; Moncayola, Torro, Oroz; Pena, Budimir, Zaragoza
Key Stats
- Real Madrid have lost their last two outings at the Santiago Bernabeu and have shipped seven goals in the process.
- Osasuna have held Real Madrid to two draws in their last three trips to the Bernabeu.
- The visitors have not won against Los Blancos in their since January 2011.
- Their last league win against the team in white came back in 2004.
- Osasuna have won each of their last three outings without conceding a single goal.
Player to Watch
Rodrygo
Rodrygo is the most underrated player at Real Madrid. While he is always overshadowed by the bigger stars, in terms of quality he is right up there with their best players. The 23-year-old is expected to return to the starting XI for the outing against Osasuna, and he will be looking to get Real Madrid back to winning ways, having contributed towards five goals so far.
Prediction
Real Madrid 4-0 Osasuna
Osasuna are the only team to have defeated La Liga leaders Barcelona this season, and they will be hoping to script an upset over Real Madrid. But, it is not going to be easy. While Real Madrid have lost their last two outings, and they do look vulnerable, they are unlikely to lose three games in a row at home.
Expect the reigning La Liga champions to go all out for a win, and there are high chances of it being a statement win. The Hard Tackle predicts a 4-0 win for the home team.
