Real Madrid travels to Osasuna on Saturday seeking to maintain its lead in LaLiga following a week dominated by allegations of racism surrounding its Champions League match against Benfica. The match at El Sadar presents a challenging fixture for Real Madrid, as Osasuna boasts a strong home record, remaining undefeated at home for over two months.
The controversy erupted after Real Madrid’s 1-0 victory over Benfica in the first leg of their Champions League playoff round on Wednesday. Vinícius Júnior scored the winning goal, but the match was briefly halted for ten minutes due to alleged racist abuse directed at the Brazilian forward. Vinícius was also booked for an excessive celebration and engaged in a heated exchange with Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni, prompting him to approach the referee, François Letexier.
The incident prompted a show of support from within the Real Madrid squad, with players walking off the pitch alongside Vinícius before play resumed. Assistant coach Arbeloa expressed pride in the team’s unity, stating, “No me hace sentir nada más orgulloso que ver a un equipo unido, que protege a un compañero y ver cómo luchan así de unidos” (I am nothing more proud than seeing a united team, protecting a teammate and seeing how they fight together like this), according to reports.
Real Madrid manager José Mourinho was shown two yellow cards late in the match and will be absent from the sideline for next Wednesday’s return leg at the Santiago Bernabéu. The match also saw an object thrown from the crowd strike Vinícius on the arm as he prepared to take a corner, adding to the unsettling atmosphere.
Despite the off-field issues, Real Madrid welcomes back key players Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kylian Mbappé, who both featured in the match against Benfica. Still, the team remains without injured players Bellingham, Militão, and Rodrygo.
Real Madrid currently leads LaLiga with 60 points, two points ahead of Barcelona. Osasuna sits tenth in the standings with 30 points, still aiming for a European qualification spot. The match at El Sadar is scheduled for 11:30 AM CDMX / 12:30 PM ET, and will be broadcast on Sky Sports in Mexico and ESPN Deportes in the United States.
Osasuna vs Real Madrid – Confirmed Lineups:
Osasuna: Sergio Herrera, Valentin Rosier, Alejandro Catena, Jorge Herrando, Javi Galán, Lucas Torró, Jon Moncayola, Aimar Oroz, Rubén García, Víctor Muñoz and Ante Budimir.
Real Madrid: Thibaut Courtois, Dani Carvajal, Raúl Asencio, David Alaba, Álvaro Carreras, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga, Arda Güler, Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior.
