Real Madrid – Osasuna

Osasuna’s defence will be a problem for Real Madrid

On Saturday, 06 May, Osasuna will play Real Madrid in Seville in the final of the Copa del Rey final. Madrid approach the encounter with great motivation. The team is definitely not going to win the Spanish championship. In the Champions League there is a tough encounter with Manchester City, where Madrid are the outsiders. In other words, a King's Cup final could save the season without any big trophies. Carlo Ancelotti's side have suffered three defeats in their last two meetings. This indicates certain problems, but the main thing is still the lack of motivation. Ancelotti has made extensive use of rotation. In San Sebastian against Real Sociedad Madrid failed to even score. The team started the match without Vinicius and Benzema. Further, Karim's exit wasn't saved either. More importantly, Real Madrid were able to retain their attacking leaders. Benzema has recovered for the final. There are no health problems for Vinicius either. The main loss is Luka Modric. The Croatian simply cannot be replaced. The player has been out for several weeks. Carlo Ancelotti plans to field Seballos in the starting line-up, but the reserve player is inferior to the veteran in all key aspects. Also definitely past the final, Alaba and Mendy. In defence, the losses are not as critical. The depth of the squad allows decent compensation for the loss of several performers. Osasuna have never won a trophy in their history. That said, they have only been to the King's Cup final once, eighteen years ago. Osasuna are having one of the best seasons in club history. The team is in ninth place in La Liga. The collective has long ago ensured its survival. Coach Jagoba Arrasate's football is built on defence. Osasuna score very little. Only Elche and Cadiz are worse in La Liga. On the other hand, their defence is almost on a par with that of Real Madrid. That is Osasuna's main trump card. In this regard, David Garcia's injury could be fatal. The key player in Osasuna's defence has not played in the last two games. The defender is widely expected to be on the pitch in the final, but his condition is still questionable. There are no other significant injury problems. In recent matches, Osasuna have blatantly prioritised the Cup. Against Barcelona and Real Sociedad, the coach actively applied rotation. As a result, they suffered two defeats without goals. In the final, it is unlikely to be an easy game for Real. Real could have trouble with subtle passes without Modric. Benzema has only just recovered. Osasuna won't take any chances, even losing by one goal. Here's to the low total and the history of head-to-head encounters. In the last eight matches, the teams have broken the upper hand once. Osasuna's clear goal is to take the game to extra time.