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Real Madrid settled a tough game on Vinicius’ shoulders, as is the case in all Osasuna clashes. The whites were almost an hour late, but arrived in time to join Vinicius’ constant bugle call. The locals fought back until the Brazilian Valverde already pocketed with a chorus to make it 0-1. Real delivered the final blow through the channel of Álvaro, a youngster whom Raúl skillfully trains in the branch and who has left his mark in the last few minutes. His was the serve for Asensio to make it 2-0, just after he missed another terminal assist after missing half a foot. Vinicius of course. This time, in a game with so much tonnage, the football around Vinicius prevailed.
0
Herrera, Jon Moncayola, Manu Sánchez, Unai García, David García, Moi Gómez, Lucas Torró (Kike García, min. 85), Rubén García (Diego Moreno, min. 62), Abde (Kike Barja, min. 85), Brasanac (Aimar Oroz, Min. 71) and Ante Budimir
2
Courtois, Eder Militao, Alaba, Nacho (Dani Carvajal, min. 76), Rüdiger, Dani Ceballos (Marco Asensio, min. 65), Modric, Camavinga, Federico Valverde, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo (Álvaro Rodríguez, min. 87)
Goals 0-1 min.78: Federico Valverde. 0-2 mins. 91: Marco Asensio.
referee Jose Luis Munuera Montero
Yellow cards Lucas Torró (min. 5), Jon Moncayola (min. 46), Vinicius Junior (min. 47) and Nacho (min. 83)
Always on fire, El Sadar is not a friendly place for hardened teams. It was Real Madrid in the first act, very flat against the fighter Osasuna, the visitors reduced to the excitement of Vinicius, for which his comrades needed a world to interpret that the game was at their feet. A flat Madrid, lacking in liveliness, unable to shake off a bizarre rival.
Jagoba Arrasate’s box doesn’t tremble when he advances backwards. Its centrals play without limits, with several moons behind them. No attack from Rodygo, unplugged in his role as Benzema. There wasn’t a Real Madrid player filtering out a sharp pass, with everyone in parallel in the midfield cabinet. Nobody with ease. Nobody stretching Madrid, nobody throwing an uncheck. Only Vinicius, who ripped out the chain from Moncayola, an orthopedic winger, a couple of times early on. A chess with the ball of Navarre led to a fencing duel for the Brazilian, who was defeated in the last minute by Herrera, who managed to block the shot with his feet.
Moi Gómez also didn’t have a run as a central midfielder, a position Arrasate is now referring to. He gave the same real useless, flu in attack and with a lot of trouble in his own field. Osasuna, a one-jaw team, surrounded the whites in their enclosure from loss to loss. There were no footprints from Modric or Ceballos, reducing Camavinga and Valverde to the role of simple guards.
Budimir, more boar than accurate, approached the target waiting room. At first he neglected Torró’s claim, who got into a better position on the shot than the Croatian, who then missed a left finger.
It took Carlo Ancelotti’s side a long time to guess that the game was bound to be decided on Vinicius’ radar, especially when Moncayola, his fake bailiff, was already carrying a card before the break. Back from the break, Alaba, this time a left-back, cheered as a fan and eventually allied with Vinicius, an ordeal for Moncayola and his assistants. A different Madrid, a more determined Madrid, less stiff.
Rodrygo missed a distorted shot by a hair and Vinicius, always Vinicius, threatened Herrera, who he first knocked offside and then foot-forced another grandiose intervention.
Osasuna and everything cost him a little more, constantly on the lookout for Vinicius. At the hour Arrasate, who was recruiting youth team Diego Moreno to arrest the Brazilian and put Moncayola ahead, intervened relieved from so much agony. And the Navarra side almost got the goal with a shot from Moi, who was on the left Post had bounced off Courtois. Osasuna is not a team that gives up. Neither shot, nor against Vinicius. And less in Sadar. And less with an enlightened goalkeeper. Herrera, a nightmare for Vinicius, whom he frustrates in a one-on-one for the third time. A botched clearance from Unai García left the Brazilian in front of the keeper, agile and firm to win the round. By this point, Asensio was already lining up and taking over Ceballos, this time without much relief.
Alvaro’s effect
Since Herrera was very Herrera, Vinicius took advantage of his streak as an assistant because he has a repertoire for everything. Asensio summoned him, the winger ventured towards the area and clinically noted Valverde’s arrival. The Uruguayan, reborn after the Qatar World Cup blackout, charged down the center aisle and sealed the goal, his seventh in the league. A thunder. Of course, Vinicius added the finishing touches, expertly defining a counterattack after support from Kadett Álvaro. But the VAR caught the boy offside. The Castilla striker, who blinked on the field after replacing Rodrygo, who was hugged by Ancelotti, was undeterred. He cleared the ball for Unai García and summoned Asensio to make it 0-2. Last point for a game in which Vinicius rowed and rowed until he put his team in orbit, leaving Real Madrid five points behind Barça.
Next stop: Anfield.
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