Real Madrid 2-0 Osasuna: 5 Talking Points and Tactical Analysis | La Liga 2019/20

#4 Osasuna surrender their unbeaten streak meekly

Osasuna were left to rue a toothless display

Coming into the encounter against Real Madrid, Osasuna represented one of only three sides to remain undefeated in La Liga this season. Additionally, they also possessed an astonishing 16-match unbeaten run which stretched back to March 2019.

Thus, the visitors had a proud record to protect at the Santiago Bernebeu. They started positively too as they rid Madrid of space in midfield, thereby blunting Los Blancos’ attacking weapons.

However, the visitors fell away after the early promise as they retreated into their shell and allowed Madrid to grab the game by the scruff of the neck.

In the opening exchanges, Osasuna mounted a few counter-attacks with Brandon Thomas leading the way. In those moments, they showcased decent composure on the ball as their midfielders looked to pass through the opposition midfield as opposed to lumping long balls forward.

Yet, once Madrid started establishing a foothold, the visitors were content to override that ploy, in the process, enabling Los Blancos to play without the fear of getting stung on the break.

Subsequently, the hosts looked much better in the second half and enjoyed the lion’s share of possession, meaning that the away side got extremely exhausted chasing the ball.

Ultimately, that proved to be the final straw on the night for Osasuna as they barely tested Alphonse Areola.

Through the nascent stage of the season, the visitors have portrayed a certain level of doggedness and a propensity to not wilt under pressure.

However, those aspects failed to come to the fore on Wednesday and a toothless performance eventually consigned them to their first league defeat of the term.