Crisis? Mbappé and Co. under pressure – surprise team Osasuna challenges Real

Preliminary reportIt is the third home game in a row and the first small “final” of the young season for Real Madrid: The Royals are doomed to win against CA Osasuna after the two most recent debacles against Barcelona and Milan. Will this be the first step towards improvement for Kylian Mbappé and Co. or will Los Blancos’ crisis get even worse? All information about the 13th matchday (Saturday, 2 p.m.).

The struggling Blancos welcome the current high-flyers from Pamplona – Foto: getty images

The initial situation

• After the double shock in the Clásico and against Milan in the Champions League, Real Madrid continues with its third home game in a row: As part of the 13th LaLiga matchday, the Royals welcome CA Osasuna at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu (Saturday, 2 p.m., in REAL TOTAL-Live ticker and at DAZN). The 0:4 debacle against Barça was already a resounding slap in the face for the reigning Spanish champions, but the 1:3 in the premier class felt even more – a real impact. In the coming weeks, for Los Blancos in both the Primera División and the premier class, it will be about nothing less than not more or less wasting the season away in the preliminary round. The duel against the surprising fifth-placed team from Pamplona is the first “game of fate” for Carlo Ancelotti and his team. The gap to league leaders Barcelona is currently a full nine points – albeit with one game less, as last weekend’s league game against FC Valencia was postponed due to the natural disaster in Spain – and cannot grow any further in this phase of the season . A win is therefore an absolute must, and the bitterly disappointed Bernabéu crowd will also be paying particular attention to the way the team presents itself this time after the last two rather embarrassing performances.

• However, based on the season so far, Osasuna cannot be described as a building opponent, as last year’s eleventh team played a strong first half of the season and is not by chance in fifth place in the table. The team of new coach Vicente Moreno, who partly helps out in his hometown of Valencia, also inflicted FC Barcelona’s only defeat of the season so far. The statistics clearly speak for the record champions: Real won the last four matches against Osasuna, including the final of the Copa del Rey 2022/23. The Royals’ last defeat against the club from Navarra was almost 14 years ago – on January 30, 2011, Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. lost 1-0 in Pamplona, ​​while the last home defeat against Osasuna dates back to 2004. But be careful: the “Rojillos” were able to steal a point twice from the last four duels between the two clubs in the Spanish capital. Particular caution is advised against header monster Ante Budimir (six goals, one assist) and Bayern loanee Bryan Zaragoza (one goal, five assists), who each come to the Bernabéu in top form.

Related Posts

Ancelotti plain text: crisis, Mbappé form – and why Vinícius doesn’t play centrally. read more

Personnel and expected lineup

• Hardly has anything to do with it Rodrygo Goes one of the injured reported back and the next Blanco was already out: Aurélien Tchouaméni suffered a sprained left ankle in the CL duel against Milan, which put him out of action for a few weeks. Also Thibaut Courtois will have to sit out for the last time against Osasuna – the Belgian will only make his comeback on the next matchday (November 24th) against Leganés, so that Andriy Lunin can play again. In addition, the long-term absences David Alaba and Daniel Carvajal are still missing. Anyway: Federico Valverdewho was substituted at half-time during the week due to back problems, is, as expected, part of the squad and will probably be in the starting line-up again. There is also a central defender from the second team Raul Asencio been appointed.

Will Los Blancos play with three attackers again this time? Graphics: REAL TOTAL

The voices for the game

Carlo Ancelotti (Head Coach Real Madrid): “We have of course spoken and are trying to assess the situation with the players. We think we’ve found the solution, but that’s just the theory. Then there is practice, tomorrow we have to react and try to give a different picture than in previous games. The team seems united and motivated to me – aware of what is happening. (…) We have to face the reality, we lost the last two games. Now we have to do it differently. Words must be followed by actions. (…) Osasuna is doing very well, including in the table, playing well and having a good run. We see it as a great opportunity to make things right again and overcome this difficult, bad moment. It can be a chance to win again tomorrow.”

» Join the discussion now in the REAL TOTAL community

Dani Pendín (Co-Trainer CA Osasuna): “We have started the season very well and are on a good run. We just won in San Sebastián, which was a difficult game. The game against Valladolid, despite the win, does not reflect the superiority we had in the game. We have to play a good game in every respect and we can’t rely on Real Madrid’s situation because they are a great team and we know how difficult it will be against them. They are quick to switch, they are the ones who have the most possession in the opponent’s half, the ones who complete the most set pieces. These are all details that we have to take into account.“