Real Madrid defeated Osasuna 4-0 at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, a dominating victory that gives Carlo Ancelotti’s team more confidence going into the international break.
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Who else but Jude Bellingham started the scoring? She added a second after the interval, and then the floodgates opened as Vinicius Junior made it three and Joselu finished the set with four. The Spanish center-forward would subsequently have an opportunity to make it five with a penalties, but Joselu was denied by Osasuna goalkeeper Sergio Herrera, who saved his fourth career Real Madrid penalty.
Here are three statistics that assist illustrate Real Madrid’s victory on Saturday.
12 points have been earned by Jude Bellingham goals in all competitions.
There isn’t much more to say about Jude Bellingham’s outstanding goal-scoring performance. Having scored twice in this match against Osasuna, he has now scored 10 goals in his first 10 Real Madrid games.
What we can say is that his goals have genuinely mattered, beyond merely the headline total of goals scored. Six of his ten goals started the scoring or gave Real Madrid the lead, while the other one tied the game. Only three, including his second goal on Saturday, were intended to widen Real Madrid’s margin of victory.
That accounted for a total of eight points in LaLiga and four points in two Champions League matches (a victory against Union Berlin and handing Real Madrid the lead in Naples). Real Madrid would be in fifth place in La Liga without his goals.
Jude Bellingham has entered a select group of only two other players—Alfredo di Stéfano and Ferenc Puskás—by scoring eight goals in his first eight LaLiga appearances. That is undoubtedly respectable company.
21: Games versus Osasuna without a loss
With 21 victories over Osasuna, Real Madrid would have to travel back 12 years to the last time the Navarrans defeated them. This makes it one of Real Madrid’s longest streaks of victories over any team.
Since Osasuna defeated El Sadar 1-0 in January 2011 on the strength of a game-winning goal from Javier Camuas, there have been six draws and 15 victories in those 21 games. Only four of the Real Madrid players that played that day are still in the league: Karim Benzema (now at Al-Ittihad), Angel di Maria (now at Benfica), Cristiano Ronaldo (now at Al Nassr).
The biggest victory during the 21-game winning streak was a 7-1 triumph at the Bernabéu in November 2011 that featured a hat-trick from Cristiano Ronaldo. This 4-0 victory, which matches the identical outcome from April 2014, is the joint-largest triumph since then. Real Madrid has replicated a four-goal margin against the Pamplona team nine years later.
Osasuna, led by Jagoba Arrasate, has drawn two matches in a row at the Bernabéu, making things very tough for Real Madrid. The home team prevailed this encounter, maintaining its excellent start to the 2023–24 season before the international break, as Ancelotti easily dispatched his opponents.
Aurelién Tchouameni has won six duels in defense, more than any other player.
Real Madrid was having a defensive crisis, but if you had no idea who you were seeing, you could easily get away with it. In the Osasuna frontline, Antonio Rüdiger and Aurelién Tchouameni appeared at ease managing Ante Budimir, and Osasuna only managed one shot on goal and six total shots over the entire 90 minutes.
Due to David Alaba’s injury, Ancelotti had suggested that either Tchouameni or Ferland Mendy would occupy the center defensive position; nonetheless, Tchouameni started in that position for both teams. Tchouameni wasn’t tested in the position throughout the week in practice despite not having played there for Los Blancos before.
The 23-year-old titan appeared at ease, winning six of his nine duels, more than any other player, and regaining possession four times. In instance, he triumphed in four of his five aerial contests with Budimir, one of LaLiga’s most potent aerial attackers. Although it was the only offense he committed—going through Rubén Pena’s back—he did receive a yellow card.
Ancelotti’s headache should pass quickly because Alaba is anticipated to be fully recovered after the international break, but Tchouameni’s assured performance should reassure him that there is a fourth defender available. Alaba should be available for the match against Sevilla following the international break even though Nacho still has two games of his ban to serve.
