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Three talking points ahead of Osasuna vs Real Madrid | La Liga MD 25
Real Madrid head into Matchday 25 of La Liga as the leaders in La Liga after Barcelona dropped points against Girona earlier in the week. They are on 60 points after 24 games, two points clear of the Catalans.
On Saturday, they play their one game that falls between the two legs of the UEFA Champions League playoff tie and it will be against Osasuna away from home.
El Sadar is usually a complicated venue to conquer, and even Real Madrid faltered at the stadium last season in La Liga.
This season, the hosts enter the game in tenth place on the standings and just five points off the European spots, an indication that they will not be easy to get past especially at home.
Madrid Universal brings you three talking points ahead of Osasuna vs Real Madrid.
All eyes on Vinicius
The past few days have been all about Vinicius Jr., and rightly so given what the player went through in Real Madrid’s last game against Benfica which took place in Lisbon.
Starting the game against Benfica, the Brazilian was one of the team’s best players and even scored the only goal against Jose Mourinho’s side when matters went awry.
Moments after completing his celebration, the player was approached by Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni and racially abused by him, a matter that led to the game temporarily being stopped and even escalated after full-time.
The media has been all about the Brazilian, the various interpretations of the incidents, and prominent figures sharing their sympathy for him. Needless to say, it has not been easy for Vinicius.
As a constant advocate of the war against racism, it comes as a bitter blow for the player to be subjected to abuse by an on-field opponent, and it will thus be interesting to see what version of him walks out on the field tomorrow.
In the best case, he will come out eager to prove his stance as one of the best in the business and prepare himself for the second-leg later in the week. There is, however, a chance that he is indeed deeply affected and turns up poorer than usual.
The working midfield combination
Jude Bellingham’s injury has been a massive blow to Alvaro Arbeloa’s plans, taking away a bona fide starter from his dynamics and reducing the squad depth in midfield.
What it has done as a positive, however, is force the coach into a situation where he has had to contemplate combinations without the Englishman, and the initial response seems wonderful.
As queer as it sounds, Real Madrid’s midfield has looked more stable than usual without the star signing on the field, and the quartet of Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Arda Guler has starred with good fluidity.
Not only have they looked more comfortable on the ball but they have also provided a good work-rate off the ball to help Real Madrid retain control over games, their tempo, and progression.
The clash against Osasuna on Saturday hands Arbeloa another chance to evaluate the success of the unexpected model.
A need for rotations?
Playing against Osasuna just days after their narrow win over Benfica, Real Madrid will undoubtedly keep in mind the hectic schedule and high-intensity games coming up.
There is no denying that every game in La Liga at this point is critical and that there is little to no room to drop any points. After all, Real Madrid were only handed the lead days ago and cannot afford to let it slip.
Yet, there is a sense of clear prioritisation of the upcoming second leg against Benfica given all that it stands for. Moreover, Real Madrid have just a one-goal lead and it is clear that Jose Mourinho’s troops will go all out for the win.
Arbeloa, thus, must consider all possible factors and decide if he is to rotate his squad against Osasuna, and if so, to what extent.
For starters, one can expect the likes of Dani Carvajal and Fran Garcia to be given starts in defence with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Alvaro Carreras better rested.
There is also a strong case for the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius and Federico Valverde to be given some minutes off to stay fresh. Given that Rodrygo and Bellingham are unavailable, however, rotations in attack and midfield become slightly tricky.
Real Madrid made a mess of their game against Elche last night, and it is clear that the men in white have several flaws with no answers at the moment.
From being 2-0 up, the men in white bottled their lead and threw the game into jeopardy by permitting Elche to score two goals. The result, as many saw it, was set to end in a draw.
With some persistent attacks in the dying minutes, however, Real Madrid managed to build pressure on Elche and eventually scored one more goal at the death to take home the three points.
Needless to say, however, the negatives from the game far outweigh the positive news of the three points.
Madrid Universal brings you three takeaways from Elche 2-3 Real Madrid.
Another second-half collapse
After Real Madrid’s win over Rayo Vallecano at the weekend, Jose Mourinho stressed the fact that Real Madrid actually played only one half and that the fatigue began showing after the break.
On the night, the opposition began to enjoy more dominance and create chances after half-time as they outran and outpressed Los Blancos to good effect.
Last night was no different, and the second half went completely awry.
The men in white entered the half-time break cruising with a 2-0 lead and significant dominance over the proceedings. They had a massive xG, with Elche barely creating any chances of note.
After the break, however, the entire dynamic of the game changed as Real Madrid took a step back and handed the impetus to the hosts. Pressing high and attacking without fear, Elche dominated Real Madrid for most of the second half and had a staggering 60% of possession.
They scored twice – in the 71st and 83rd minutes – and equalised Real Madrid on the night. Given the visitors’ shambolic display, it was deserved for Elche.
At this point, the constant second-half collapses and fatigue struggles of the team after just 45 minutes of action must worry Jose Mourinho immensely. Heading into a derby away from home, Real Madrid have to do much better.
The away curse continues
While Real Madrid’s form at home has been imperious this season, their form away from home has been equally shocking.
They began their season with a last-minute win over Espanyol, and their second league game of the season on the road came against Real Betis and ended in defeat.
Heading into their third away game last night, there was an element of worry about how they would perform, and the trend continued once more.
Real Madrid did well to take the lead on the night, but they made the second half a massive war and far more difficult than it should have been.
At this point, serious questions have to be raised about Real Madrid’s form on the road and their inability to keep games under control when playing in away stadiums.
Heading forward in the season, Los Blancos have some massive away games coming up against far more difficult opposition. The Madrid derby is up next, and the team’s form is nothing promising heading into that fixture.
Carlos Espi saves the day… again!
Real Madrid are currently on 15 points after six games in the league, but Carlos Espi has directly contributed to a massive chunk of that.
If not for the new Spanish striker’s ability to come up clutch in big moments, Real Madrid could well have been on just 11 points at this stage in the season, and the four points he has added are absolutely crucial.
Against Espanyol, it was Espi who scored a stoppage-time winner to hand Real Madrid all three points after a complicated match. Last night, he repeated the same heroics once more.
With the team staring at a draw, the new signing was at the right place at the right time to bury Kylian Mbappe’s assist in stoppage time, handing Real Madrid all three points at the death.
He may not have played a large part on the night, but his cameo was again powerful and it is clear that he elevates the team’s attack and provides new solutions in front of goal. Espi has already proven his talent, and his ability to perform under pressure is what makes him special.
