Similar to that, the LaLiga title race has shifted again in favor of Barcelona as Actual Madrid misplaced 2-1 to Osasuna on Saturday. Vinicius Junior scoring in his third consecutive match wasn’t sufficient to see Los Blancos take all three factors as they give the impression of being to keep up a slim one-goal benefit over Barcelona whereas additionally in search of development to the final 16 of Champions League play with a second leg versus Benfica looming on Wednesday (catch the motion on Paramount+).
With the loss, Barcelona can go one level clear atop the league with a victory over Levante on Sunday, ramping up the street to El Clásico on Might 10. Actual Madrid nonetheless controlstheir future however matches like this one, the place factors had been dropped, conceding a purpose within the 92nd minute of play, are those that may loom if supervisor Alvaro Arbeloa is not in a position to safe the LaLiga crown. In fact, a loss needed to come someplace when Actual Madrid had been beforehand unbeaten of their final 9 league matches, so it is higher that it occurs right here as a substitute of at one other time down the street.
The improved type of Vinicius shall be good to see in the long term, as it will make Actual Madrid a extra balanced aspect, however that is one other match the place too many simple probabilities got to Osasuna. Los Blancos gave up 13 photographs, together with a penalty for a complete of two.05 xG, and even with rotation in protection, it is a unusual one for Actual Madrid to permit to a workforce that has solely scored 30 targets all season. Margins are fantastic, and expectations are excessive for Los Blancos, so these are moments when Arbeloa’s management is crucial, particularly throughout every week with making an attempt incidents like this one.
In Champions League play, Vinicius Junior was allegedly racially abused by Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni, and it is onerous to inform how that impacts the squad throughout matches like this one, particularly with one other match in opposition to the Portuguese aspect looming. On any given day, Arbeloa has a troublesome job managing Los Blancos, however it’s one which turns into a lot more durable when needing to consider occasions like that. They’re going to need to have a brief reminiscence of those dropped factors as properly, with UCL play returning, however once they’re coming off a prolonged successful streak, there is not any higher time than midweek to start out their subsequent one.
