With Atletico Madrid and Barcelona hot on their heels, league leaders Real Madrid will look to return to winning ways when they face Osasuna away from home.
Winless in their last two league games, Real Madrid will now travel to El Sadar to take on Osasuna on Saturday. The home team have been going through a rough patch of late while Los Blancos recently secured an important win over Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League.
Osasuna are ninth in La Liga with 31 points in their 23 outings. While they did have an impressive start to the season, things have not been that great for them of late as they have only won one out of their last 11 league games.
The hosts are heading into this fixture on the back of a 1-1 draw against RCD Mallorca. While they did manage to get a point in their last outing thanks to a late strike by Flavien Enzo Boyomo, things are not going to be easy against the team in white.
The visitors are top of the table with 50 points from their 23 outings. Real Madrid only have a one-point lead over second-placed Atletico Madrid and a two-point gap over third-placed Barcelona. Having dropped points in their last two league games, they are eager to return to winning ways.
Having won 3-2 away from home against Manchester City, Los Blancos will be confident of getting the job done against Osasuna at El Sadar. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Osasuna
The home team are expected to be without the services of Raul Garcia because of an ankle injury, while Flavien Enzo Boyomo is suspended after picking up a milestone yellow last time out.
Osasuna are expected to stick with the majority of the players that started in their last outing when they host Real Madrid at CA Osasuna. The home side will line up in a 4-5-1 formation, with Sergio Herrera in goal.
The back four should be made up of Jesus Areso, Alejandro Catena, Jorge Herrando, and Juan Cruz. They will look to keep things tight at the back when they go up against one of the best attacks in the world.
Ruben Garcia and Bryan Zaragoza will feature out wide on the flanks in midfield. While the wide duo will look to contribute towards both ends of the pitch, they will have a lot of defensive duties in their fixture.
Lucas Torro will start alongside Jon Moncayola and Aimar Oroz in a more central role. They will try to ensure Madrid midfielders do not end up dominating the proceedings. Finally, Ante Budimir should spearhead the Osasuna attack against Real Madrid.
Probable Lineup (4-5-1): Herrera; Areso, Herrando, Catena, Cruz; Ruben Garcia, Moncayola, Torro, Oroz, Zaragoza; Budimir
Real Madrid
The visitors remain without the services of Lucas Vazquez, Antonio Rudiger, David Alaba, Eder Militao, and Dani Carvajal. The good news for them is that they did not pick up any fresh injuries against Manchester City.
Since there is still a significant amount of time left for the second leg, Real Madrid could end up playing the same starting eleven that started against Manchester City in the first leg when they lock horns with CA Osasuna on Saturday.
Real Madrid will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against CA Osasuna, with Thibaut Courtois in goal. Federico Valverde and Ferland Mendy should continue as full-backs, while Aurelien Tchouameni should partner Raul Asencio at the heart of the defence.
Eduardo Camavinga and Dani Ceballos will form the double pivot in midfield. They will look to control the tempo of the game. Jude Bellingham will be the attacking midfielder, while Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior should feature on the flanks. Kylian Mbappe will continue to lead the line for Real Madrid against Osasuna.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Valverde, Tchouameni, Asencio, Mendy; Camavinga, Ceballos; Rodrygo, Bellingham, Vinicius; Mbappe
Key Stats
- CA Osasuna have only won one out of their last 11 league games.
- The Pamplona outfit have lost each of their last five games against Real Madrid across competitions.
- Los Blancos won the reverse fixture 4-0 back in November.
- Carlo Ancelotti’s team have the second-best away record in La Liga with 22 points in their 12 games.
- Osasuna have been unbeaten in their last four games, but they have played out a draw in three of those fixtures.
Player to Watch
Rodrygo Goes
Rodrygo is enjoying yet another successful season at Real Madrid. The 24-year-old has 12 goals and eight assists in his 32 outings. While it was not the best of starts for him, the Brazilian international has picked up pace, and he will be looking to add to his tally in this away fixture.
Prediction
Osasuna 0-2 Real Madrid
Osasuna have been in solid form of late. While they have been very difficult to get past, the home team have not secured enough wins. Osasuna will look for a positive result against Real Madrid, but they are unlikely to come out on top. Los Blancos returned to winning ways against Manchester City, and they should build on it here. The Hard Tackle predicts an easy 2-0 win for the away side.
