The best visitor of the League examines the invoice of the classic

Having overcome the pothole with which they reached the last national team break and spurred on by their prestigious victory at the Camp Nou, Real Madrid reopened the doors of the Santiago Bernabéu a month after the Sheriff’s shooting to receive Osasuna, one of the teams Revelation of the League with 18 points that have installed him in European positions.

The rojillos, who have accumulated three wins in the last four days and are the only team that has won all the games they have played at home so far in the championship, aspire to maintain the streak and will examine the invoice of the classic against a rival reinforced but that in recent times has had to pay a toll after several of the volcanic duels he has fought with Barça.

Five victories, three draws and two defeats have been collected by Real Madrid in the League matches held in a row followed by the ten classics that preceded last Sunday. But the balance worsens if one takes into account the shock immediately after a skirmish with Barça that always demands the most due to the emotional impact of the fight between the bitter enemies: three wins, four tables and three defeats for the meringues among all competitions .

The goals of Alaba and Lucas Vázquez in the Barça fiefdom allowed Real Madrid to beat Barça for the fourth time in a row, the best streak of the Whites in the classic since 1965. But the results that accompanied the first three triumphs of that series invite us to caution.

After the 2-1 recorded at Alfredo Di Stéfano on matchday 30 of the last league campaign, the squad that Zinedine Zidane was coaching at that time drew 0-0 with Liverpool in the quarterfinal round of the Champions League and scored again against the Getafe on the next date of the Spanish championship. In the first round he had stormed the Camp Nou by 1-3, but three days later he sweated the fat drop to obtain a draw ‘in extremis’ against Borussia Monchengladbach in the maximum continental competition, before thrashing Huesca in the tournament of the regularity (4-1). Worse was the hangover of the 2019-20 campaign, when Betis dissolved the euphoria unleashed by the goals of Vinicius and Mariano in Ter Stegen’s goal, defeating the whites 2-1 at Benito Villamarín just before the pandemic set in in check to the League.

To find the most recent victory for Real Madrid in their first appearance after a classic, we must go back to October 31, 2018, when they thrashed Melilla in the Copa del Rey after conceding 5-1 at the Camp Nou that sentenced Julen Lopetegui.

Eleven guarantees

Carlo Ancelotti does not want confidence in order to change that dynamic. The good moment that Osasuna is going through will force the Italian to put an eleven of guarantees, despite the fact that the accumulation of matches advises giving rest to some of the veterans. Reggiolo’s coach has been recovering troops in recent days, although for the clash against Jagoba Arrasate’s team he loses Valverde, who returned from Barcelona with a sprain in the lateral ligament of his left knee that will also make him miss the following matches before Elche and Shakhtar.

Courtois was also touched by the classic, which gives Lunin some option to appear under the clubs for the first time this course. The rotations could make their way in the medullary, where Camavinga and Asensio fight to give rest to Modric and Kroos. Jovic is already available upstairs and Hazard needs to pick up pace and feel important after not playing for a single minute against Barça, although it is difficult to move Rodrygo, Benzema and Vinicius. Bale and Ceballos remain low.

Arrasate will not be able to count on Aridane, who does not finish overcoming his soleus injury, nor with the sanctioned Cote. They were also left out of the call due to physical problems, Ramalho, Juan Pérez and Budimir.

Osasuna has only won twice at the Bernabéu, where he has not prevailed since April 2004, and has accumulated twelve defeats in his last thirteen visits to Real Madrid, with a balance of 37 goals against and only 9 in favor. «In these cases, normally the statistics tend to be unfavorable because you speak of a rival who is very powerful. We know that we have to do almost everything right, but we have that illusion. Away from home, things are going well for us and if we play a perfect, round match, we will surely have some option, “argued his coach.