Real Madrid 4:0 Osasuna
After consecutive losses to Barcelona and AC Milan, Real Madrid was sinking in a sea of disappointment. Kylian Mbappé’s lack of form and doubts about coach Carlo Ancelotti’s tactics were circulating. There were even rumors about Ancelotti losing his job due to the team’s failures. The only way for Real Madrid to respond to the criticism was to bounce back strongly on the field.
That’s exactly what Vinicius Jr. did at the Santiago Bernabéu. After missing out on the Ballon d’Or to Rodri by just 41 points, Vinicius delivered an incredible hat-trick against Osasuna. Alongside his hat-trick, Jude Bellingham also ended a 179-day goal drought in this match.
Real Madrid won 4–0, closing the gap with Barcelona, who sit at the top of the table. After this win, Real Madrid now have 27 points from 12 matches, while Barcelona have 33 from the same number of games.
From the very beginning of the match, Real Madrid was aggressive. Using both wings effectively, they launched wave after wave of attacks. In the attacking third, Vinicius, Rodrigo, Mbappé, and Bellingham were all lively, possibly responding to recent criticism with their attacking mindset.
In the 14th minute, Rodrigo fired a brilliant shot from outside the box, but Osasuna goalkeeper Sergio Herrera made a spectacular save to deny him.
However, Real Madrid was dealt a blow in the 20th minute when Rodrigo, who had just returned from injury, was forced to leave the field due to another injury. Before they could recover from this setback, another blow came. In the 30th minute, Éder Militão also had to be stretchered off the field, with Raúl Asensio coming on as his replacement.
Despite losing two key players from the starting lineup, Real Madrid didn’t back down. They maintained pressure on their opponents, constantly pushing forward in search of a goal. Although they played well, Real Madrid was struggling with their finishing. Finally, in the 34th minute, Vinicius broke the deadlock. After receiving a pass from Bellingham, he entered the box and scored with a trademark Vinicius shot.
In the 42nd minute, Bellingham doubled the lead. Asensio, with a brilliant 50-meter long pass, set up Bellingham, who finished with a delicate touch over the goalkeeper. This was Bellingham’s first goal of the season.
After the break, Real Madrid continued to dominate. They repeatedly created chances in Osasuna’s box. Mbappé, after dribbling past defenders, was fouled just before entering the box. He couldn’t capitalize on the free kick from a close range, though, as he often found himself off target despite playing well throughout the match.
However, in the 61st minute, Vinicius scored his second goal. Following a counterattack, he received a pass from goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, dribbled past Osasuna’s keeper, and scored, reminiscent of the best days of Ronaldo Nazário. This was also the first goal assisted by a goalkeeper for Real Madrid since December 5, 1993.
In the 65th minute, Vinicius missed an opportunity to complete his hat-trick, but in the 69th minute, he made no mistake. Receiving a pass from Brahim Díaz, he scored again from close range to seal his hat-trick, sending the Bernabéu into raptures once more.
