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Barcelona’s defeat to Granda on April 29 has left the LaLiga title race wide open. The top four sides are now separated by just three points, with Atletico Madrid leading the pack. Real Madrid, meanwhile, are second in the league and could go top this weekend provided certain results go their way.
Karim Benzema rescued the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg for Real Madrid with a stunning volley against Chelsea. The Frenchman’s goal meant that the match finished 1-1, despite Los Blancos looking extremely vulnerable at times. Benzema and Co will travel to London next week to play the second leg of the semi-final. However, their focus will be on the domestic league at the moment, where they are still miraculously involved in a title challenge.
Real Madrid are second in LaLiga with 71 points. Zinedine Zidane’s side would have easily been top had they not dropped points so spectacularly throughout the season. They have managed to win 21 matches this campaign, which is fewer than both Atletico Madrid and Barcelona. Luckily for them, both their rivals have spurned some great opportunities recently to either take the lead at the top of the table or further increase the gap.
Los Blancos will face Osasuna in LaLiga on May 1. Should results go their way, they could finish the weekend on top of the league. They are just two points behind rivals Atletico, who are up against a relegation-threatened Elche. Furthermore, Real are above Barcelona in the table thanks to a favourable head-to-head record and will be hoping that the Blaugrana drop points against Valencia on Sunday.
Real Madrid will be without Sergio Ramos, Ferland Mendy, Federico Valverde, and Dani Carvajal for this match. However, one positive news is the return of Eden Hazard, who is back in the squad after a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Key Players
Where would Real Madrid be without Karim Benzema? The Frenchman has single-handedly saved his team from embarrassment over the last two years. He is the main source of their goals at the moment, confirmed by the fact that the gap between him and his team’s second-highest league goal-scorer is 16 goals! Benzema has scored 28 goals across all competitions this season and his striker and even struck against Chelsea midweek in the Champions League semi-final.
Zinedine Zidane’s unusual tactics have allowed Casemiro to have a free role in the middle of the pitch. The Brazilian is the team’s sole defensive midfielder but is licensed to roam further up the pitch than his midfield partners when Los Blancos are on the attack. Casemiro has scored six times across all competitions this season. He is Real Madrid’s second-highest league goal-scorer with five goals.
Roberto Torres is bound to go down in the Osasuna history books as a club great. The 32-year-old attacker joined the Basque club’s youth academy in 2006 and has since graduated to the first team. He has been a key player for Los Rojillos over the years, despite the team bouncing between the Spanish first and second divisions. Torres has been key to Osasuna’s survival charge this season as well, and has scored six goals in the league.
Many would remember Jonathan Calleri as the West Ham striker who just could not score – and there have been several over the years. However, the Argentine forward, who erupted onto the scene after a promising spell with Boca Juniors, has made a name for himself in Spain. He joined Osasuna on loan before the start of the 2020/21 season and has had seven goal contributions.
Prediction
The odds are heavily stacked against Osasuna for this match. However, Jagoba Arrasate’s side will be less concerned with a negative result from this match, considering they have most likely beaten relegation already. Los Rojillos are currently 11th in the league, thanks to a recent spell of six unbeaten matches. The streak of three draws and three wins came to an end last weekend when they were beaten by Celta Vigo. Nevertheless, Osasuna will end the season looking upward rather than downward, with a top ten finish within their reach.
Osasuna will face a weakened Real Madrid side on May 1. Los Blancos will be without several key players for this match, including captain Sergio Ramos. Furthermore, Real have spurned opportunities to take points off ‘weaker’ teams, which is becoming a worrying trend of late. However, history is on their side in this particular fixture. They have won their last ten home matches against Osasuna and are unbeaten in 11, home and away.
Real Madrid should be looking to take maximum points from this match and continue their challenge at the top of the table. A win could take them to the top provided Elche beat Atletico Madrid in their match.
