Real Madrid were made to work hard for three points in their last game against Celta Vigo with a brilliant Tony Kroos strike giving them a 2-1 victory in the final stretch of the game. Madrid take on newcomers Osasuna in the La Liga in Gameweek 3 at the Bernabeu.
Real Madrid have dominated the fixture in recent season and have lost just once in the last 10 games against the team from Pamplona. The last time Osasuna beat them was in 2011 when the team was under the stewardship of Jose Mourinho, a shock that took everyone by surprise.
Real Madrid side have started pretty decently but have been far from their high-flying best. They are neck to neck with fierce-rivals Barcelona and even at this early stage, fans will loathe it if they fall behind the Catalans.
The Los Rojillos are still without a win in the league and a trip to the Bernabeu isn’t an encouraging situation for them at all given the previous history.
Team News
Madrid will miss the likes of Casemiro James and Marcelo, as they will be rested for the tie while Keylor Navas, Fabio Coentrao and Isco are out with injuries. Cristiano Ronaldo is likely to feature in the game after recovering from his knee injury as he will look to step on the pitch for the first time this season. Another absentee Karim Benzema can also return from his hip injury.
Osasuna have Juan Fuentes and Alex Berengeur available again shaking off their knocks but will miss Javier Flano who is out with a knee injury.
Managers Word
Zinedine Zidane: “It is clear that we didn’t particularly shine [against Celta Vigo]. In some games we are unable to play how we want to. We played against a tough opponent that made life hard for us. We have room for improvement but I’m content with our start to the season, winning two La Liga games and winning another official game (Uefa Super Cup).”
Enrique Martin Monreal: “The game [against Real Sociedad] was level because they had no options to score. It was two mistakes. We have to improve a lot and keep growing. The match was tied, very intense, and it was decided in two details that went against us.”
Predicted Lineups
Real Madrid: Kiko Casilla; Carvajal, Ramos, Varane, Nacho; Kovačić, Kroos, Modrić; Bale, Morata, Ronaldo
Osasuna: Nauzet; Clerc, Unai García, Miguel Flaño, David García, Javier Flaño; Oier, Mérida, Cuevas; Romero, Riera