Osasuna vs Real Madrid

Real Madrid’s title-defending La Liga campaign continues at El Sadar with a must-win clash against European hopefuls Osasuna.

A horrendous 4-0 away loss to upcoming rivals Real Madrid in November’s reverse fixture initiated Osasuna’s barren run of just one win from their last 11 La Liga matches (D7, D3). Those stalemates form part of Osasuna’s league-high tally of ten draws but keep them firmly embroiled in the race for a top-six finish. However, Vicente Moreno’s men have blown hot and cold in February (W1, D1, L1) and must find consistency sooner rather than later to consolidate their feeble European push. Madrid’s visit hardly bodes well, considering ‘Los Rojillos’ haven’t won a home league H2H since January 2011 (D3, L7), including three defeats on the trot, all of which saw them concede at least two goals.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid will take this trip in a buoyant mood after hauling back an 86th-minute deficit to beat Manchester City 3-2 in the first leg of their Champions League knockout playoff tie. It was a perfect response to last weekend’s intense 1-1 home draw against fierce crosstown rivals Atletico Madrid. However, ‘Los Blancos’ are winless in back-to-back league games after a shocking 1-0 defeat at Catalan minnows Espanyol, which puts them at risk of losing consecutive away matches in La Liga for the first time since March 2023. That’s an unlikely scenario, not least because Carlo Ancelotti’s charges haven’t lost any of their last 22 top-flight meetings with Osasuna (W17, D5)!