Liga, Real Madrid 3-1 at Osasuna: close title

In addition to the silhouette of the 35th title on the horizon, Real Madrid now also perceives its sweet aroma. The blancos take another decisive step towards the finish line by conquering the Sadar of Pamplona, ​​moreover in an evening that sees Benzema miss two penalties in the space of a few minutes. To drag Ancelotti a step away from his first Liga, however, we think the flashes of Alaba, Asensio and Lucas Vazquez, which are worth the 3-1 final. The Madrilenians thus move to +18 from the Sevilla-Barcelona duo, both committed tomorrow. With five days to go (six for the Catalans), even assuming that both have full loot, the blancos would only need three more points for the mathematical certainty of the title, which could come between the two Champions League semi-finals against City. Sadly out of the game Atletico (-17), even today held back at home by Granada.

Absences and rotations

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Ancelotti finds himself without eight pawns, some of them as heavy as Mendy, Modric and Casemiro. But since there is also a Champions League to think about, it is better to preserve the few remaining, so Kroos and Vinicius still start from the bench. This means an improvised median to say the least with the revived Ceballos, Camavinga and Valverde, while behind there is still Lucas Vazquez so as not to risk Carvajal. As usual, Benzema escapes the law of turnover, for once held back by a bad evening and the spell of eleven meters. Next to him a decidedly more perky Rodrygo, who collects his hundredth appearance in the white jersey.

Navarro rock

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What the blancos quickly understand is that there is a lot to fight at Sadar, because Osasuna is keen to pin the umpteenth star of a season so far to be framed to their chest. This explains the attempts of Budimir and Brasanac that cause shivers in Courtois between 5 ‘and 7’, also because the dribble of the Madrid team is approximate as in the first half against Sevilla. It therefore happens that, despite moving forward thanks to a lucky tap-in by Alaba at 12 ‘(on an assist from the usual Benzema), Madrid let themselves be reached just 2’ later by a touch of Budimir, guilty left alone by a forgetful Militao. It is the moment in which Osasuna believes in it, carried away by the thrust of a hot stadium. It is also the moment in which Budimir signs the sensational overtaking, canceled immediately after by an offside (right) recognized by the Var.

Indigestible disk

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After the fright, Madrid goes to the counterattack and for the hosts are pains. To find the key to unhinging the home fort, just a few moments before going to rest, it is an invention of Camavinga for Ceballos: rejected by Herrera and easy support from Asensio’s net. The guests could close the practice at the start of the second half, thanks to two penalties awarded between 51 ‘and 57’ (the second rather generous). Too bad that Benzema lets himself be hypnotized on both occasions by Herrera, author of two saves practically in photocopy. The Frenchman does not give up and seeks redemption in the final half hour with three other attempts, but it is not the evening. Like Benzema, Rodrygo, Asensio and the new entry Vinicius are also wrong, then Lucas Vazquez appears for the counterattack that closes the games in the 92nd minute, with Ancelotti seeing the goal ever closer.