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Who: Real Madrid vs Osasuna
What: Spanish La Liga
Where: Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, Madrid, Spain
When: Tuesday 9pm (19:00 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll person each the build-up connected Al Jazeera Sport from 6pm (16:00 GMT) successful beforehand of our unrecorded substance commentary watercourse of the match.
Real Madrid volition unfastened their 2025-2026 La Liga run with a location crippled against Osasuna connected Tuesday astatine the Bernabeu.
The 36-time Spanish home champions attack the caller play with respective caller signings and caller anticipation nether precocious appointed manager Xabi Alonso and are looking to crook the leafage connected a disappointing extremity to the Carlo Ancelotti epoch with “ambitious” football.
But arsenic Alonso saw firsthand successful his Real managerial debut astatine the FIFA Club World Cup successful the United States this summertime – Paris Saint-Germain thrashed Madrid 4-0 successful the semifinal – determination is plentifulness of enactment to bash if the megaclub wants to reclaim its La Liga rubric from Barcelona successful the caller season.
Alonso’s Vinicius-Mbappe challenge
Alonso, who wants to instrumentality immoderate mentation of the 3-4-2-1 enactment that won him the Bundesliga rubric with Bayer Leverkusen successful 2023, faces a immense situation to unlock the chemistry betwixt his 2 superstar forwards: Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior.
Both Mbappe, who scored 44 goals successful his debut play astatine Real, and Vinicius, whose scoring output dipped substantially aft the Frenchman’s arrival, are being told they indispensable lend much disconnected the shot this play and acceptable a amended illustration for the team, according to reporting by the Marca newspaper.
Alonso is reportedly acrophobic astir a deficiency of teamwork and disposable antagonistic gestures among immoderate of his apical players – a inclination that has persisted since past season.
If the 2 players again neglect to consistently link up beforehand successful the 2025-2026 season, the changeless rumour mill of a Vinicius exit from the nine volition statesman churning erstwhile more.
Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso volition beryllium hoping the prima guardant pairing of Vinicius Junior, left, and Kylian Mbappe thrives the 2nd clip astir [File: Anna Szilagyi/EPA]Where did Osasuna decorativeness past season?
The Pamplona-based nine had 1 of their astir palmy La Liga seasons, finishing ninth successful the standings and making it to the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey.
What happened the past clip Real Madrid met Osasuna?
The teams played retired a arguable 1-1 gully connected February 19 erstwhile 10-man Real squandered a accidental to cement their pb connected apical of the La Liga ladder aft Jude Bellingham was sent disconnected successful the 39th infinitesimal for what appeared to beryllium an statement with the lucifer referee.
Modric out, Guler in
Real Madrid enters the 2025-26 La Liga play without inspirational seasoned Luka Modric successful the squad for the archetypal clip successful much than a decade. The deficiency of the Croatian’s acquisition and prime volition beryllium felt successful a broadside lacking immoderate guile successful midfield.
Los Blancos’ anticipation is for Turkish playmaker Arda Guler, who is entering his 2nd play with the club, to beryllium capable to thrive determination and go a subordinate who tin power the tempo of a game.
“The manager is trying to marque america person much power of the game, and that’s amended for me,” Guler said.
The 20-year-old should get plentifulness of chances to play astatine the commencement of the play with different cardinal midfielder, Bellingham, sidelined until astir mid-October.
Turkish sensation Arda Guler, left, volition effort to capable the ample playmaking spread created by Luka Modric’s departure from Real Madrid [File: Gerrit van Keulen/ANP via Getty Images]Who are the caller players signed by Real Madrid?
Ex-Liverpool and England defender Trent Alexander-Arnold, wide considered 1 of the champion close backs successful the world, was Real Madrid’s highest-profile signing implicit the summer. He is simply a near-certainty to commencement successful his La Liga debut against Osasuna connected Tuesday.
Towering centre backmost Dean Huijsen joins the nine from Bournemouth aft signing a 50 cardinal pounds ($67m) woody connected May 17 and is besides expected to enactment up successful the starting XI.
Real besides added caller near backmost Alvaro Carrera from Benfica arsenic good arsenic promising Argentinian teen Franco Mastantuono, who volition inhabit a midfield relation astatine Madrid.
Team news: Real Madrid
Midfielder Eduardo Camavinga whitethorn miss the Osasuna fixture aft picking up an wounded to his close ankle, the nine announced connected August 10.
“Following tests conducted connected Eduardo Camavinga by the Real Madrid Medical Services, the subordinate has been diagnosed with a sprain to his close ankle,” the 15-time European champions wrote connected their website. Madrid did not springiness a timeline for the 22-year-old’s return.
England planetary Bellingham has undergone palmy enarthrosis country but volition miss the archetypal 2 months of the season.
Antonio Rudiger is serving a one-game suspension carried implicit from past season.
Star midfielder Jude Bellingham won’t enactment up for Real Madrid until October aft offseason country [File: Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA via Getty Images]Team news: Osasuna
Osasuna person nary reported injuries oregon suspensions.
Promising winger Victor Munoz, who joined Osasuna from Real Madrid’s younker strategy implicit the summer, is tipped to marque his debut against his aged nine successful the play opener.
Possible lineups:
Real Madrid imaginable starting XI: Courtois (GK); Alexander-Arnold, Huijsen, Militao; Carreras, Guler, Tchouameni, Ceballos; Rodrygo, Vinicius Jr; Mbappe
Osasuna imaginable starting XI: Herrera (GK); Arnaiz, Boyomo, Catena, Cruz; Torro, Garcia; Oroz, Munoz, Gomez; Budimir
Head-to-head:
In their past 5 matches against Osasuna, Real Madrid person won 4 and drawn once:
Osasuna 1, Real Madrid 1 – February 16, La Liga
Real Madrid 4, Osasuna 0 – November 10, La Liga
Osasuna 2, Real Madrid 4 – March 17, 2024, La Liga
Real Madrid 4, Osasuna 0 – October 8, 2023, La Liga
Real Madrid 2, Osasuna 1 – May 7, 2023, Copa del Rey final
Now successful his 2nd play with Real Madrid, Kylian Mbappe, centre, is acceptable to triumph his archetypal La Liga rubric with the Spanish megaclub [File: Anna Szilagyi/EPA]
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