La Liga Preview: Real Madrid Set to Face In Form Osasuna Amid Potential Lineup Changes
Madrid aim to maintain top spot as Osasuna seek to extend unbeaten run
Spain, Feb 21 : Real Madrid, the current La Liga leaders, travel to one of Spain’s toughest venues, El Sadar Stadium in Pamplona, on Saturday to face Osasuna. The visit comes after Madrid’s 4-1 home victory over Real Sociedad and Barcelona’s 2-1 defeat at Girona, which saw the teams swap positions at the top of the standings.
Madrid strengthened their Champions League campaign with a 1-0 first-leg playoff win against Benfica on Tuesday, though the match was overshadowed by alleged insults directed at goalscorer Vinicius Jr, who is expected to start in Pamplona. Manager Alvaro Arbeloa may rotate his squad, potentially resting Kylian Mbappe for the return leg, while Jude Bellingham remains sidelined with a hamstring injury. Players like Brahim Diaz, Gonzalo Garcia, and Dani Carvajal could feature if rotation is applied.
Osasuna, under coach Alessio Lisci, have improved steadily after a slow start and are now 10th in La Liga, riding a five-game unbeaten streak. Veteran striker Ante Budimir, with 11 goals this season, will be a key attacking threat. Winger Victor Munoz, who joined from Real Madrid last summer with the club retaining 50% of his rights, has been a standout performer, offering pace and creativity alongside recent arrival Raul Moro.
Osasuna’s wide options, particularly Munoz, will test Madrid’s right side, putting pressure on Trent Alexander-Arnold or Carvajal. With both teams in strong form, the clash promises to be a competitive test for the league leaders.
