Real Madrid will aim to make it nine straight La Liga victories when they travel to El Sadar to face Osasuna on Saturday evening.
Los Blancos sit top of the table, two points clear of Barcelona, while Osasuna occupy 10th place — five points adrift of sixth-placed Espanyol in the race for European qualification.
Osasuna have enjoyed a solid campaign under Alessio Lisci. Eight wins, six draws and 10 defeats from 24 league matches have yielded 30 points and a place in mid-table contention.
Their recent form has been particularly encouraging. Los Rojillos are unbeaten in five league outings, winning three and drawing two — including a goalless draw at Elche last time out. At home, they have been especially reliable, collecting 21 points from 11 matches this season.
However, they now face the division’s most consistent away side. Real Madrid boast the best travelling record in La Liga, earning 27 points from 12 away fixtures.
Osasuna fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat at the Bernabeu earlier this season and have not beaten Real Madrid in the league since January 2011. That said, last season’s corresponding fixture ended in a 1-1 draw, offering encouragement ahead of this weekend’s contest.
Freshness may also favour the hosts. Real Madrid were in Champions League action on Tuesday, securing a 1-0 first-leg playoff win against Benfica in Portugal.
Alvaro Arbeloa’s side have been relentless domestically. Eight consecutive league victories have propelled them above Barcelona at the summit.
With 19 wins, three draws and two defeats from 24 matches, Madrid have accumulated 60 points and hold La Liga’s strongest defensive record — just 19 goals conceded.
At the other end, Kylian Mbappe continues to deliver at elite level. The French forward has scored 23 league goals and 38 in all competitions this season, underlining his importance in the title race.
While Madrid may have one eye on next week’s second leg against Benfica, there is little margin for error in what promises to be a tightly contested run-in.
Injuries & Suspensions
Iker Benito (knee) and Enzo Boyomo (muscle) remain sidelined. Otherwise, Lisci has a near fully fit squad to choose from.Jon Moncayola could return to the midfield in place of Iker Munoz. Ante Budimir, who has 11 league goals this season, will once again spearhead the attack.
Eder Militao and Jude Bellingham are ruled out with hamstring injuries, while Rodrygo faces a late fitness test.
Raul Asencio returns from suspension and is expected to replace Antonio Rudiger in central defence. Arda Guler may continue in the number 10 role behind Mbappe and Vinicius Junior.
Possible Line-Ups
Possible XI:
Herrera; Rosier, Herrando, Catena, Galan; Torro, Moncayola; Ruben Garcia, V Munoz, Oroz; Budimir
Possible XI:
Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Asencio, Huijsen, Carreras; Valverde, Tchouameni, Camavinga; Guler; Mbappe, Vinicius
Expert Prediction
Osasuna 1-2 Real Madrid
