The La Liga Matchday 1 encounter between Real Madrid and Osasuna will take place on August 19 at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Real Madrid vs. Osasuna: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Real Madrid
The capital club finished second in last season's La Liga, trailing Barcelona by four points. They had a chance to overtake the Catalans, but in the 35th round, they lost the head-to-head clash (3-4). Notably, this defeat was Real's only loss in their last eight league matches (winning the rest). It's also worth mentioning that in the previous six seasons, Real Madrid has consistently finished in one of the top two positions in the league standings. Over the summer, under a new coach, they participated in the Club World Cup, reaching the semi-finals. After that, Real played a friendly match against Tirol, winning 4-0.
In June, the club appointed Xabi Alonso as the head coach. Midfielder Luka Modric and defender Lucas Vazquez left the team. Real Madrid strengthened their squad with defenders Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alvaro Carreras, and Dean Donny Huijsen, as well as forward Franco Mastantuono.
- The club opened the scoring in 7 of their last 8 La Liga matches.
- Real Madrid won 7 of their last 8 home league games.
- No more than 3 goals were scored in 7 of Real's last 9 home La Liga encounters.
Predicted lineup for Real Madrid (4-3-3)
Thibaut Courtois – Alvaro Carreras, Dean Donny Huijsen, Eder Militao, Trent Alexander-Arnold – Dani Ceballos, Aurelien Tchouameni, Arda Guler – Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Brahim Diaz.
Forward Endrick Felipe, defender Ferland Mendy, and midfielders Eduardo Camavinga and Jude Bellingham are out due to injuries. Defender Antonio Rudiger is serving the sixth and final match of his suspension.
Osasuna
The Pamplona-based team finished last season in 9th place. They narrowly missed out on European competition despite a strong end to the season (only 1 loss in the final 10 rounds). Osasuna lost out to Rayo Vallecano on goal difference, who finished 8th and qualified for the Conference League. It's notable that in La Liga 2024/25, Osasuna managed only 2 away wins and became the most draw-prone team in away matches (10 draws). In preparation for the new season, the club played 6 friendlies, securing just 1 win (2 draws and 3 losses).
Over the summer, the team appointed a new head coach, Alessio Lisci, who previously worked in Segunda clubs. They also signed forward Victor Munoz. Defenders Jesus Areso and Unai Garcia, as well as midfielder Pablo Ibanez, left the team.
- No more than three goals were scored in 10 of the last 12 league matches.
- Osasuna has not won in 13 of their last 14 away league matches (8 draws and 5 losses).
- The team scored in their last five away La Liga games.
Predicted lineup for Osasuna (4-4-2)
Sergio Herrera – Alejandro Catena, Valentin Rosier, Juan Cruz, Enzo Boyomo – Jon Moncayola, Lucas Torro, Aimar Oroz, Ruben Garcia – Victor Munoz, Ante Budimir.
Referee
Adrian Cordero Vega (Spain)
Matches – 19 (La Liga, 2024/2025);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 91;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.8;
Red cards shown – 4;
Average fouls per match – 24;
Penalties – 32%.
Match Prediction: Real Madrid vs. Osasuna
The capital club has not lost to this opponent in 20 consecutive La Liga meetings (14 wins and 6 draws). At their home ground, Real Madrid has won 13 of the last 15 encounters against Osasuna, with 2 draws. In six of these matches, Pamplona managed to score just 1 goal, and their last two visits to Real ended in heavy defeats, both 0-4.
I believe Real Madrid will comfortably handle this opponent once again. Real has won 7 of their last 8 home league games. Meanwhile, Osasuna won only twice away in the last La Liga season and scored just 15 goals on the road (no team scored fewer in away matches). It's highly likely that Real Madrid will win again without conceding, especially since Pamplona did not make significant attacking reinforcements during the off-season.
My prediction – Real Madrid to win without conceding
