Three talking points ahead of Osasuna vs Real Madrid | La Liga MD 25 | OneFootball

Real Madrid head into Matchday 25 of La Liga as the leaders in La Liga after Barcelona dropped points against Girona earlier in the week. They are on 60 points after 24 games, two points clear of the Catalans.

On Saturday, they play their one game that falls between the two legs of the UEFA Champions League playoff tie and it will be against Osasuna away from home.

El Sadar is usually a complicated venue to conquer, and even Real Madrid faltered at the stadium last season in La Liga. 

This season, the hosts enter the game in tenth place on the standings and just five points off the European spots, an indication that they will not be easy to get past especially at home.

Madrid Universal brings you three talking points ahead of Osasuna vs Real Madrid.

All eyes on Vinicius

The past few days have been all about Vinicius Jr., and rightly so given what the player went through in Real Madrid’s last game against Benfica which took place in Lisbon.

Starting the game against Benfica, the Brazilian was one of the team’s best players and even scored the only goal against Jose Mourinho’s side when matters went awry.

Moments after completing his celebration, the player was approached by Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni and racially abused by him, a matter that led to the game temporarily being stopped and even escalated after full-time.

The media has been all about the Brazilian, the various interpretations of the incidents, and prominent figures sharing their sympathy for him. Needless to say, it has not been easy for Vinicius.

As a constant advocate of the war against racism, it comes as a bitter blow for the player to be subjected to abuse by an on-field opponent, and it will thus be interesting to see what version of him walks out on the field tomorrow.

In the best case, he will come out eager to prove his stance as one of the best in the business and prepare himself for the second-leg later in the week. There is, however, a chance that he is indeed deeply affected and turns up poorer than usual.

The working midfield combination

The midfield unit is finally clicking. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Jude Bellingham’s injury has been a massive blow to Alvaro Arbeloa’s plans, taking away a bona fide starter from his dynamics and reducing the squad depth in midfield.

What it has done as a positive, however, is force the coach into a situation where he has had to contemplate combinations without the Englishman, and the initial response seems wonderful.

As queer as it sounds, Real Madrid’s midfield has looked more stable than usual without the star signing on the field, and the quartet of Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Arda Guler has starred with good fluidity.

Not only have they looked more comfortable on the ball but they have also provided a good work-rate off the ball to help Real Madrid retain control over games, their tempo, and progression.

The clash against Osasuna on Saturday hands Arbeloa another chance to evaluate the success of the unexpected model.

A need for rotations?

Playing against Osasuna just days after their narrow win over Benfica, Real Madrid will undoubtedly keep in mind the hectic schedule and high-intensity games coming up.

There is no denying that every game in La Liga at this point is critical and that there is little to no room to drop any points. After all, Real Madrid were only handed the lead days ago and cannot afford to let it slip.

Yet, there is a sense of clear prioritisation of the upcoming second leg against Benfica given all that it stands for. Moreover, Real Madrid have just a one-goal lead and it is clear that Jose Mourinho’s troops will go all out for the win.

Arbeloa, thus, must consider all possible factors and decide if he is to rotate his squad against Osasuna, and if so, to what extent.

For starters, one can expect the likes of Dani Carvajal and Fran Garcia to be given starts in defence with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Alvaro Carreras better rested.

There is also a strong case for the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius and Federico Valverde to be given some minutes off to stay fresh. Given that Rodrygo and Bellingham are unavailable, however, rotations in attack and midfield become slightly tricky.