Real Madrid 2-0 Osasuna: 3 reasons why Los Blancos won

Two consecutive wins for Real Madrid and they have put the spectre of a dreadful Parisian night somewhat behind them. Los Blancos beat Osasuna and are top of the LaLiga standings with Atletico Madrid to come this weekend.

As expected, Zinedine Zidane made more than a few changes to the side for the midweek game, with one eye on the Madrid derby. It was an intense encounter against the capable visitors, but in the end, Madrid's fledglings and a sprinkle of first-teamers did the needful.

Goals from Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo were enough to guarantee all three points for the capital club, as Zidane continues to weave his magic.

Real Madrid overcame an impressive start by the visitors when Vicinius Junior's shot from outside the box beat Ruben Ivan Martinez for the opener in the 36th minute, and it was followed by an emotional celebration from the Brazilian youngster.

Rodrygo came on for Vinicius late in the second half and his impact was instant, as he raced on the left towards the Osasuna box from the halfway line, cut in, and sent a clinical low strike past Ruben to cap his debut with a goal.

With this victory, Los Blancos will go into the Madrid derby this weekend in pole position, one point above their crosstown rivals.

In this article, we analyse a few reasons why Los Blancos won this one:

#3 Compact defending by Real Madrid

The heavy loss to PSG in Paris must have been rock bottom for Real Madrid, as in the following game against Sevilla, we saw the makings of an astute defensive orientation from the Spanish giants.

They kept a solid defensive shape, hunted in packs, and the likes of Eden Hazard and Gareth Bale weren't shy to get in on the defensive side of things.

Against Osasuna, we saw more of the same. For this one, the likes of Nacho and Alvaro Odriozola didn't overlap much, and Osasuna had only one notable breakaway in the first period, due to Nacho giving away possession. However, Los Blancos recovered from that blunder.

The new defensive system is a pragmatic one, and Los Blancos are already reaping early rewards with 2 consecutive wins, as well as 2 clean sheets.

#2 Real Madrid too good for Osasuna

Toni Kroos pulled the strings in midfield

Real Madrid had one eye on the upcoming match against Atletico Madrid, and despite making several changes, were still a cut above the visitors. A host of key players like Eden Hazard, Gareth Bale, Dani Carvajal, Karim Benzema, etc. made way for Vinicius Jr., Lucas Vazquez, Luka Jovic, and Alvaro Odriozola.

Although Osasuna troubled Madrid in the opening 15 minutes, Los Blancos took hold of proceedings, and it was a straight forward procession from then onwards. Madrid's youngsters dazzled in a bid to impress the boss, making the most of the rare minutes.

Real Madrid controlled the ebb and flow of the game with superior possession numbers, and more significantly, they had a total of 15 shots, with Osasuna having a paltry 4 shots and none on target.

#1 Timely goal from Vinicius Junior

Early on in the game, Osasuna troubled Real Madrid somewhat, and the scoreline lingered on at 0-0 with halftime approaching. Los Blancos were struggling to create chances, and the likes of Vinicius Junior, in particular, were being harried by the traditionally impatient Santiago Bernabeu home crowd.

However, in the 36th minute, the youngster seized the game by the scruff of its neck, belting in a shot from outside the box. His goal allowed the team to continue with its solid defensive shape and not sacrifice it for attacking gain. The goal was the much needed solid foundation for the victory.