La Liga: Osasuna vs. Real Madrid

Posted on | April 30, 2008 | No Comments

It will be difficult to tell what Real Madrid fans would prefer going into this match. If Villarreal fail to beat Getafe, Real Madrid will be league champions, and if Madrid beat Osasuna they will also be proclaimed champions. But what I suspect the Meringue fans want is for Villarreal to win and Real Madrid to lose. That way, the next league game at home to Barcelona will be extra special, and winning the league at the hands of the bitter Catalan rivals almost too good to be real. But if Real Madrid are proclaimed champions this week, then Barcelona will have to suffer the humiliation of having to give Real Madrid the victory avenue in the Bernabeu stadium.
I think that Madrid will be crowned champions this week, as Osasuna lately have been slipping further and further into trouble, and are now just two points from the relegation drop. They have their last two league encounters, including last weekend’s bitter defeat away to a reborn Valencia, and will also have to do without Juanfran due to an accumulation of yellow cards, but being on loan from Real Madrid he wouldn’t have been able to play anyway. Luckily though, goalkeeper Ricardo will be able to play even though he was sent off after fifteen minutes of the Valencia game. The Spanish football committee reviewed video evidence and agreed with Osasuna’s directors that the Portuguese keeper hadn’t fouled David Villa. However, having to play with a man less for practically the whole game without the first choice goalkeeper as well as conceding a penalty didn’t do much for Osasuna’s hopes of surviving in La Liga.
For Real Madrid, their hope was to clench the title last weekend against Athletic Bilbao in the three nil home win. Unfortunately, Villarreal spoiled the party by beating Betis by a goal to nil. Barcelona though, are out of the running after losing two goals to nil to Deportivo de la Coruña. Argentinean striker Saviola made a rare start and responded by scoring the first goal, while Sneijder and Higuain rounded off a great home win.
I really think this will be a Real Madrid win, as they will want to start celebrating the league title as soon as possible, while Osasuna are pretty much dead in the water. The team from Navarro have had a pretty awful season, not being able to get into the top half of the table once, and have big problems in front of goal. Scoring thirty three times in thirty four games is very alarming for a team whose main characteristic is its attacking football.
Prediction: Away win (3-1)

Related posts:

1. La Liga: Real Madrid vs. Osasuna
2. La Liga: Real Madrid vs. Osasuna
3. La Liga: Real Madrid vs. Barcelona
4. La Liga: Osasuna vs. Atlético Madrid
5. La Liga: Barcelona — Real Madrid

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