Real Madrid returned to the top of the La Liga table after a comprehensive victory over Osasuna at the Santiago Bernabeu. Girona were first on the day, but now they have been overtaken by Los Blancos again.
As it has been for most of the season so far, it has been the Jude Bellingham show for Real Madrid. The Englishman got going after nine minutes and finished off an excellent team move.
Bellingham made it 2-0 at halftime. Excellent follow-up play with Federico Valverde allowed him free space inside Osasuna’s penalty area and, as expected, he made no mistake.
Vinicius Junior added a third soon after to grab his second goal in as many before Joselu Mato added another strike at the Bernabeu.
Carlo Ancelotti will be happy with his Real Madrid. Osasuna could have been a very tricky opponent, but they simply blew them away and fully deserved the four goals and three points.
Real Madrid player ratings (4-3-1-2)
GK: Kepa Arrizabalaga – 7/10 – Alert when sporadically called into action.
RB: Dani Carvajal – 7/10 – Happily picnicked down Osasuna’s left flank, where opponents aside from Madrid have also enjoyed great success this season.
CB: Aurelien Tchouameni – 6/10 – Starting in an unfamiliar centre-back role, the natural midfielder was unnerved when lured into one-on-one duels but didn’t look entirely uncomfortable.
CB: Antonio Rudiger – 5/10 – The only recognised centre-back on the pitch – or in the squad – didn’t convey an unwavering sense of calm.
LB: Ferland Mendy – 6/10 – Kept his passing safe – and successful – but rarely cantered forward in support of Vinicius.
CM: Fede Valverde – 8/10 – Brought his usual brand of aggression and demonstrated the artistry to unpick Osasuna.
CM: Eduardo Camavinga – 6/10 – Helped Modric with the first phase of buildup and raced in to plug as many gaps as he could out of possession. Real shame that he could only be in one place at once.
CM: Luka Modric – 7/10 – Intent on making a statement after watching the last two league games from the bench, Modric started practically every Madrid move and hounded after the ball out of possession as well.
AM: Jude Bellingham – 9/10 – The unrelenting attacking return will naturally steal the headlines but Bellingham also mucked in with the dirtier, defensive side of the game.
ST: Joselu – 6/10 – A typical level of finesse associated with Madrid players may be lacking but Joselu shifted the Osasuna backline deep enough to create space for the likes of Bellingham to surge into.
ST: Vinicius Junior – 6/10 – Constantly trying to raise the tempo – of his team and the crowd – on a sleepy Saturday afternoon but sometimes his mind worked even faster than his legs. The rust from his lengthy injury layoff has not entirely faded.
Substitutes
SUB: Toni Kroos (67′ for Camavinga) – 6/10 – So relaxed he afforded a fan a high-five while taking a corner kick.
SUB: Rodrygo (72′ for Vinicius) – 5/10
SUB: Dani Ceballos (72′ for Bellingham) – 5/10
SUB: Brahim Diaz (79′ for Modric) – N/A
SUB: Lucas Vazquez (79′ for Carvajal) – N/A
Subs not used: Pineiro (GK), Lunin (GK), Garcia, Carrillo
Manager
Carlo Ancelotti – 7/10 – Worked his way around the defensive injuries well and watched on as Osasuna folded in the face of his side’s star quality.