La Liga: Real Madrid Must Break Out of Their Slump Before It’s Too Late

Real Madrid vs Osasuna

Real Madrid fans are in disarray, as their team has suffered two straight defeats in all competitions. After losing 4-0 to Barcelona and 3-1 to AC Milan (in the Champions League) recently, Carlo Ancelotti’s side needs some home comfort when they host Osasuna on Saturday.

Because of their recent results, Real Madrid have fallen behind Barcelona in the La Liga standings with a nine-point deficit. However, a victory against Osasuna would reduce the gap to six points.

Meanwhile, Osasuna are one of the biggest surprises in the Spanish top-flight this season because they’re fifth in the table with 21 points, only three behind Real Madrid.

Unlike Los Blancos, Vicente Moreno’s men have built momentum in these past few days, so their confidence is high heading into this contest.

Will Osasuna pull off a massive upset at the Bernabeu? Check out today’s SBOTOP match preview by reading more below.

 

Talking Points

Real Madrid are getting thinned out

Real Madrid find themselves in unfamiliar territory because they’re 18^th in the Champions League standings and second behind Barcelona in La Liga, and their struggles can be attributed to their alarming injury list and fatigue in general.

Save for Vinicius Jr., Real Madrid looked sloppy against AC Milan, as Kylian Mbappe looked unconvincing in front of goal and the defence and midfield were all over the place.

It got so bad for Carlo Ancelotti that he could face the prospect of getting sacked for the first time in a long while.

On the personnel front, Real Madrid are still undermanned, as they will miss at least four key players against Osasuna.

David Alaba (knee), Dani Carvajal (knee), and Thibaut Courtois (adductor) remain long-term absentees, while Aurelien Tchouameni was just added to the list after suffering an ankle injury last night.

The French midfielder is expected to miss at least four to six weeks, further compromising their midfield rotation.

Fede Valverde was also subbed off against AC Milan after sustaining a back injury, but he will likely play against Osasuna with Tchouameni sidelined.

 

Osasuna punching above their weight

Osasuna fans are dreaming of securing a spot in European football next season because they’re surpassing expectations so far this year. Vicente Moreno’s men have won their three matches in all competitions, and all of them are clean sheets.

The resurgence of Ante Budimir has helped Los Rojillos get to where they are now. The Croatian striker is the team’s leading scorer with six goals, although he has been getting help from the others.

Lucas Torro, Abel Bretones, Raul Garcia, and Bryan Zaragoza are among those who have also kicked on for Osasuna, combining for six goals.

Unlike Real Madrid, Osasuna are fresh from a 5-0 win over Chiclana in the first round of the Copa del Rey. With Budimir, Bretones, Torro, and Zaragoza getting the day off, they should have fresh legs this weekend.

 

History

Real Madrid have had Osasuna’s number, as they’re undefeated in their last 18 La Liga matchups (W13, D5) since a 1-0 defeat at El Sadar in January 2011. Jose Mourinho was Los Blancos’ manager back then.

However, Osasuna have taken points from two of their last three La Liga games against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu (D2, L1) after only notching one point in their previous 13 La Liga visits (D1, L12).

Los Rojillos’ last win at the Bernabeu was a 3-0 result in April 2004 under Javier Aguirre.

Los Blancos have won their last three La Liga matches against Los Rojillos, scoring at least four goals in the last two, and they’re aiming to do it for the third consecutive time for the first time ever.

Real Madrid have not lost two La Liga matches in a row since May 2019. Their recent defeat at the hands of Barca ended their 42-match unbeaten run. (W31, D11).

 

Betting Tip

Despite their recent slump, Real Madrid are favoured to win this weekend. According to the updated La Liga 2024 odds, Carlo Ancelotti’s side is priced to win at 1.18, whereas Vicente Moreno’s Osasuna are 10.50 underdogs, and a draw is at 6.20 in the 1X2 market.

We can’t help but agree that this game is Real Madrid’s to lose, given their undefeated run against Osasuna. However, bettors shouldn’t expect too many La Liga 2024 highlights from this contest.

Total Goal 2-3 at 2.23 should also get the job done for Los Blancos, while Correct Scores of 2-0 and 2-1 in their favour should give you decent paydays of 6.10 and 9.80, respectively.

   

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