By Asmita - Feb 15, 2025
Real Madrid faces Osasuna in a La Liga match to solidify their lead in the league despite defensive injury setbacks. Osasuna, positioned ninth, aims to challenge Real Madrid with key forward Ante Budimir. Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti makes lineup changes for the match, emphasizing its importance in maintaining their lead. TNT Sports will cover the game as both teams seek pivotal outcomes in the league standings.
Антон Зайцев via Wikimedia
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Real Madrid is set to face Osasuna in a La Liga match on February 15, 2025, at Estadio El Sadar, with the match commencing at 3:15 PM. As the reigning champions, Real Madrid aims to solidify their lead over Atletico Madrid and Barcelona in the league standings. Currently, they hold a narrow advantage, sitting just one point ahead of Atletico and two points ahead of Barcelona. With both Atletico and Barcelona scheduled to play later, this match presents Real Madrid with an opportunity to increase their lead, even if temporarily. However, they face a challenging situation with a defensive injury crisis, as key players like Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao are sidelined for the remainder of the season due to knee injuries. Additionally, Antonio Rudiger, Lucas Vazquez, and David Alaba were absent from the squad that traveled to Manchester City for their Champions League fixture and will also miss the Osasuna game. Despite these setbacks, Real Madrid secured a 3-2 victory against Manchester City in the first leg of their Champions League playoff, showcasing their resilience and determination.
Osasuna, positioned ninth in the league standings, will be without their suspended key defender, Flavien Boyomo, who scored a late equalizer against Mallorca. Earlier in the season, Osasuna suffered a 4-0 defeat against Real Madrid. However, they have shown their capability to challenge top teams, having defeated Barcelona 4-2 earlier in the season, marking the Catalan's first league loss. A key player for Osasuna is Croatian forward Ante Budimir, who has scored 12 goals this season, placing him among the top scorers in La Liga. Real Madrid's coach, Carlo Ancelotti, has made three changes to the team that played against Manchester City, with Garcia, Modric, and Diaz replacing Mendy, Ceballos, and Rodrygo. Osasuna has made one change to their lineup, with Herrando replacing the suspended Boyomo.
Despite their recent struggles in La Liga, where they have only managed one point from their last two games, Real Madrid remains highly motivated. Ancelotti emphasized the importance of the match against Osasuna as an opportunity to maintain their lead in the league. He stressed the need to replicate the positive aspects of their performance against Manchester City and acknowledged the talent within the team. The match is seen as the beginning of a crucial phase of the season for Real Madrid as they balance their La Liga campaign with their Champions League commitments. TNT Sports will provide coverage of the match, although any matches falling within the Saturday blackout window in the UK will not be shown live.
The predicted lineups for the match are as follows: Osasuna: Herrera, Areso, Herrando, Catena, Cruz, Moncayola, Torro, Oroz, Garcia, Budimir, Zaragoza. Real Madrid: Courtois, Valverede, Tchouameni, Asencio, Garcia, Camavinga, Modric, Bellingham, Diaz, Mbappe, Vinicius Junior. Subs for Real Madrid include Rodrygo, Endrick, Mendy, Guler, Lorenzo, Lunin, Mestre, Ceballos, Ramon, Vallejo. The match holds significance for both teams, with Real Madrid aiming to extend their lead at the top of La Liga and Osasuna seeking to improve their position and potentially contend for a spot in the European places.