Los Blancos were deprived of suspended Cristiano Ronaldo who has netted 16 of Real Madrid's 45 goals in the Spanish La Liga. The Portuguese superstar winger’s absence apparently took its toll as Gonzalo Higuain, Jose Callejon, Angel Di Maria and Karim Benzema all failed to find a way through past Osasuna’s goal line.
The shocking news of the night occurred when Kaka was flashed a rare red card – Real Madrid’s third sending off incident in as many games.
The only positive Jose Mourinho could take from Saturday night's stalemate in Pamplona is his team's defence. Despite the absence of injured duo Pepe and Fabio Coentrao as well as banned Spanish defender Sergio Ramos, Los Blancos clinched their seventh clean sheet in La Liga.
One goal at the other end could have made the difference but that never happened for the visitors. Should Barcelona live up to expectations and beat Malaga on Sunday, Real Madrid will fall 18 points off the summit of the Spanish Primera Division table.
Saturday's goalless draw against Osasuna was probably the last sign for Los Blancos to invest all their energy in Spanish Copa del Rey and UEFA Champions League success. Finishing in the Spanish La Liga's top three zone for an automatic Champions League spot currently looks as the only realistic prospect for Real Madrid.
