Lucas Vazquez celebrates with Vinicius Jr.
Real Madrid beat Osasuna 3-1 to open up a provisional 17-point gap at the top of the table.
David Alaba opened the scoring for the visitors. Following a brilliant passage of play between Marco Asensio, Dani Ceballos, and Karim Benzema, Alaba found the back of the net on a rebound which gave Sergio Herrera no chance.
Osasuna equalized a minute later through Ante Budimir, who tapped one in after being on the receiving end of Ezequiel Avila’s attempt.
Marco Asensio regained the lead for his side in the 45th minute. Camavinga dinked one in for Ceballos, whose shot was saved by Herrera but Asensio slotted in the rebound for his ninth league goal of the season.
Lucas Vazquez put the game to bed in stoppage time as he coolly tucked one in following some selfless work by Vinicius Jr. to set him up.
On that note, here’s a look at five biggest talking points from the game.
#5 Isco and Dani Ceballos impress
Dani Ceballos got the nod against Osasuna as Madrid started Ceballos, Eduardo Camavinga, and Fede Valverde in the center. This meant that Toni Kroos and Luka Modric got some well deserved rest.
Ceballos surely made a case for himself against Osasuna. He was swift in his movements, was eager to get on the ball and kept the ball rolling.
Isco too impressed with his vision and dazzling feet. He showed glimpses of his former self. It would be great to see both of them feature more for Real Madrid.
But with Valverde and Camavinga putting in massive shifts every game, the competition is intense.
#4 Injury concerns for Real Madrid
David Alaba before the kickoff
David Alaba limping off the field added to Real Madrid’s woes at the back. With the Manchester City game coming up next, Carlo Ancelotti will be a bit worried.
Real Madrid already have Ferland Mendy, Casemiro, Marcelo, Luka Jovic, Mariano Diaz, and Miguel Gutierrez on the sidelines.
Real Madrid will be hoping that the injury is nothing serious and he makes it back in time for the UEFA Champions League fixture next week. It is imperative that he starts alongside Eder Militao as Nacho’s struggles against Chelsea were quite evident. Manchester City won’t give second chances at such a stage.
#3 Bad day at the office for Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema missed two penalties against Osasuna
Karim Benzema did not have the best of games against Osasuna. The Frenchman failed to register himself on the score sheet.
Benzema missed two penalties in a span of seven minutes as Sergio Herrera pulled off two brilliant saves to defy the 34-year-old. Benzema too was at fault since he smacked both the penalties in the same area.
Despite missing the spot kicks, it wasn’t all bad for the French international. He created four chances, won two duels, completed two dribbles and made four recoveries during the game. Los Blancos will be hoping that he is saving his goals for Manchester City.
#2 Abysmal defending by Osasuna
Massive performace by Sergio Herrera
The hosts were a bit shaky at the back for the entirety of the game. Madrid sensed fear and gave the hosts no chance. Although Osasuna’s approach of sitting back and absorbing the pressure did test their opponents’ patience, they opened up on quite a few occasions.
The visitors managed to smash three past Osasuna and it could have been a lot more had it not been for Sergio Herrera. He made eight saves throughout the game, including the two avoidable penalties Osasuna conceded.
#1 Relentless Real Madrid march on
Madrid players celebrate after scoring a goal
Real Madrid are closing in on the La Liga title. The Spanish giants have been tremendous since the end of the international break. The entire squad has been brilliant since the hauling against FC Barcelona in the Clasico.
They need just four points from five games to claim the league title regardless of what happens in other fixtures. They sit at the top of the table with 78 points.
Trailing them is Atletico Madrid with 61 points after having played 33 games. With the form Real Madrid is in, the league should be wrapped up pretty soon.
