RSSOsasuna Related Content
Barcelona’s possession game: Statistical facts before El Clasico 2012
Barcelona are admired for their passing game and ability to dominate in terms of possession in most matches, regardless of the standard of their oppositions.
.jpg)
Relying on dominance through possession
It is in fact their dominance in games that have given them the confidence to rise without limit among other titans in world football. Generally, teams that profit from higher possession have more chances of creating opportunities and controlling games at their will.
This is a verity Pep Guardiola based his tactics on, right from the start of his spell at the club; and it has surely helped him develop a commanding side out of the Blaugrana. With the addition of accuracy and boldness to his recipe, Barcelona’s style has turned into an enjoyable type that many other clubs attempt to replicate.
Osasuna vs Valencia Preview
Sunday’s action in La Liga opens with an early match between Osasuna and Valencia. Kick-off time is at 6:00am EST (11:00am GMT).
Third-placed Valencia will be looking to bounce back from their surprise defeat to Real Sociedad. Considering the strength of Real Madrid and Barcelona at the top of the standings, it looks like Los Che should aim for nothing more and for nothing less than a third-place finish. As things stand, they are on their way to securing an automatic spot in next season’s UEFA Champions League competition. Valencia have a comfortable four-point advantage over Levante in the standings.
They are also six points clear from the UEFA Europa League zone which is currently occupied by fifth-placed Espanyol and sixth-placed Athletic Bilbao. Los Che can contemplate hitting 37 points and creating a seven-point gap over Levante temporarily.
Osasuna vs Barcelona Report
A second choice side was more than enough for Barcelona to triumph on aggregate and reach the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey, at the expense of Osasuna.
Ballon d’Or 2011 winner Lionel Messi and nominee Xavi were excluded from the starting XI – while Puyol, Busquets and Fabregas also had a chance to rest their feet. The visitors’ only aim was to maintain their first leg advantage, and they did so in style.It wasn’t until the 41st minute that spectators witnessed the first goal of the match - not for Barca though, but rather for the hosts. Dejan Lekic stroke the ball past Pinto after Raoul stole the ball from Sergi Roberto, giving Osasuna the possibility to get back into the game.
But things happened to turn back in the full favour of the Catalans early in the second half. Forward Alexis Sanchez nicely converted a low cross from Adriano to level the score line on 49 minutes.
Barcelona favourites against Osasuna: El Clasico guaranteed?
Real Madrid have already booked their place in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals and Barcelona are an inch away from joining them in the Last 8. Will there be a pair of Clasicos this month?
Most likely, yes… Barcelona won their first leg encounter in the on-going stage 4-0 against Los Rojillos. That result places them in perfect position to eye two meetings against arch-rivals Real Madrid in the following round.If ever Osasuna wish to overturn their opening leg’s score line, then they will have to keep a clean sheet this evening and score at least 5 goals. Should they concede a goal, their mission will be made harder, and being realistic; success on their behalf is not very possible at this stage.
For Barcelona, a terribly shocking exit would remind them of their disgusting disqualification from the Copa del Rey almost five years ago, when they got overpowered by Getafe on aggregate despite a 5-2 victory at the Camp Nou. This is not something Barca fans are currently anticipating; but then, they should hence prepare themselves to face Madrid twice this month.
Osasuna vs Barcelona Preview
A 4-0 first leg advantage over Osasuna should be enough to give Barcelona all the confidence in the world in their next Copa del Rey match; but work still has to be done.
In his pre-match press conference, Barca coach Pep Guardiola warned: “There are 90 minutes left and Osasuna have their virtues, which we already know about. It's our duty to think we still have work to do.”The official club website also quoted him saying: “All grounds are complicated, and this one especially, for its size and the way they play. We know it will be cold, and we'll see how the pitch is.”
Barcelona will be without Iniesta, Maxwell and Alves. B team players Montoya, Cuenca and Sergi Roberto trained with 18 other first team players, and all three of them have been included in the squad.
Barcelona vs Osasuna: The game will not be easy, says Guardiola
Barcelona play Osasuna later in the day in the Copa del Rey, but Pep Guardiola believes the match will look nothing like the meeting they had earlier this season.
Barcelona destroyed Osasuna 8-0 in a league match on 17 September 2011 at the Camp Nou. The two clubs once again face each other in Cataluña, but Guardiola is not even eyeing an easy challenge.“That was a long time ago,” he said while referring to his side’s major triumph over Los Rojillos. “The situation has changed.”
Preferring to look at his mission in its entirety, he added: “This is a 180-minute match and we have to try to get a good result.”
Indeed, good results are just what Barcelona need if they are to get through their busy schedule this month with satisfaction. Using the team’s key players wisely is the central idea of Guardiola’s plan, but he has yet to decide whether Lionel Messi will perform tonight or not.
Barcelona could meet Real Madrid in January 2012 after Osasuna in Copa del Rey
January 2012 is not just any month for FC Barcelona. They have a bunch of tough games awaiting them, and already, Osasuna are poised to give the giants a dreadful start to the New Year.
The Barcelona vs Osasuna fixture in the Copa del Rey, kicking off on 4 January 2012 at 4pm EST, will be played over two legs. The return leg takes place eight days after; that means only four days after the big Catalan derby in the Spanish La Liga: Espanyol vs Barcelona.This is a game the defending league champions would not want to lose. With a draw against their rivals certainly not being part of their plans for this month, much effort will be needed to keep Barcelona in La Liga title race.
This goes without saying that they will have to snatch a huge advantage against Osasuna on Wednesday, just so they can have a chance to use minimal energy on January 12 at the Estadio Reyno de Navarra. Three days after their last Copa del Rey match in the Round of 16 this season, Barcelona face Real Betis.
Real Madrid vs Osasuna Report
Real Madrid destroyed Osasuna 7-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu. Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema were on target for Los Blancos.
On Saturday night, Levante lost 2-0 to Valencia—meaning that Real Madrid’s lead at the top of La Liga standings remained untouched ahead of the Osasuna match. The Spanish giants were poised to clinch their 10th consecutive victory in all competitions. They indeed made this happen thanks to a goal fest at the Bernabeu.
Cristiano Ronaldo broke the deadlock midway through the first period thanks to an assist from Angel di Maria. But Real Madrid didn’t hold on to this goal for long as Osasuna’s Ibrahima made good use of his unmarked position to deceive Casillas.
Real Madrid vs Osasuna Preview
The Santiago Bernabeu will be the venue for the first match of the day on Sunday, November 6.
League leaders Real Madrid will host Osasuna in the comfort of their home hours before Barcelona get in action against Athletic Bilbao. With a victory, Los Blancos will maintain their position at the top of the standings. They wouldn’t have to worry until November 19 when La Liga will resume.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuain are expected to take care of producing fireworks. Between them, they have 20 goals in the Spanish Primera Division. In midweek, Ronaldo clinched his 100th Real Madrid goal and he is poised to add more to his tally.
Barcelona vs Osasuna Report
Barcelona have scored 15 goals in 3 match-days already! They trounced Osasuna 8-0 tonight. Who dared to predict a crisis for the Catalans after they drew twice in a row lately?
Lionel Messi unlocked the gates after only 5 minutes before Cesc Fabregas doubled the Catalans’ lead a few moments later. David Villa added a third goal inside the 34th minute to assure Barca supporters of the team’s strength in depth.From there it became a matter of scoring for fun. The Camp Nou transformed into a total hell for visitors Osasuna. First, Roversio scored an own goal to pile up the pressure on his team. The unfortunate incident happened when David Villa produced a shot which bounced off Fernandez before cannoning off Roversio and past the goal line.
Barcelona vs Osasuna Preview
Osasuna don’t come anywhere near matching Barcelona’s strength on paper but tonight’s hosts aren’t ready to be fooled by overconfidence.
Barcelona vs Osasuna is one of the 5 matches in La Liga which will take place on Saturday. With rivals Real Madrid playing only on Sunday, Barca have a genuine opportunity to erase the 2-point gap which keeps them away from the very top of the Spanish Primera Division table. Thus far, Osasuna are unbeaten in La Liga. Last week, they clinched a valuable victory against Sporting Gijon to join Barcelona on 4 points. Only goal difference puts Osasuna behind the Catalan at this early stage and coach Pep Guardiola is aware of this team’s threat.
As he stated at a press conference on Friday, Pep is expecting a tough one-on-one encounter with Osasuna coach Mendilibar at the Camp Nou on Saturday night.
Barcelona vs Osasuna: Not an easy game for Barca in La Liga
After two consecutive sad draws, Barcelona just cannot relax against Osasuna at the Camp Nou. They will surely have to give a lot so as to get the desired result this time.
Watching the Catalans get stunned twice in a space of three days caused many to put in question the style and form of the club. Although there were terrible defensive problems and lack of efficiency in front especially in the second half of their match against Real Sociedad, they undoubtedly put on a better show for their fans in their following game against AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League.
Certainly though, as one might say, luck was what was missing on Tuesday - above anything else. With hard work not really paying off, it appeared Barcelona were forced to swallow yet another setback, which could in fact have transformed in a victory any other day.
In point of fact though, this has not necessarily locked the team in a long period of troubles, and redemption against Osasuna may well help them take back control of their season. Fortunately for them, being the hosts against Los Rojillos, they have great chances of snatching the authority to take all three points.
La Liga Relegation Battle: Who Joins Almeria And Hercules In The Second Division?
In Spain’s La Liga, the tension will reach its climax on match-day 38 as 6 teams will fight to avoid relegation. Hercules and Almeria are already doomed. Who will join them out of the Primera Division?
Meet the 6 Teams That Could Wave Goodbye To La Liga On Saturday
Real Mallorca—In 13th Position
They went a big step behind in their mission to avoid relegation as they lost 3-1 last weekend to Almeria. Almeria, remember, have only pride to play for just as Hercules. Real Mallorca are now in a tight situation with 44 points like Real Sociedad and Osasuna. On Saturday, they have a tough game against Atletico Madrid.
This fixture actually has so much at stake with Atletico aiming for an UEFA Europa League spot. Ahead of match-day 38, Real Madrid’s local rivals count 55 points like Sevilla and Athletic Bilbao who occupy the fifth and sixth spot respectively. Interestingly, a point could be good enough for both Mallorca and Atletico to achieve their respective targets.
Barcelona vs Osasuna: Bouncing Back From Real Madrid Defeat Is Important
The Barcelona vs Osasuna match today will push the Catalans a step closer to La Liga title if they win, but in order to do so, they will need to forget about their defeat to Real Madrid in midweek.
Barca lost the Copa del Rey 2011 final to their fierce rivals on April 20 at the Mestalla Stadium, after they failed to stop Cristiano Ronaldo from making wonders. The Madrid winger scored a magnificent header that crushed the Azulgranas’ hopes; nevertheless, now that this has become a story of the past, being strong and bouncing back is definitely the only option.As a team ready to sacrifice anything to remain champions of La Liga, grabbing another 3 points at the Camp Nou against an unimpressive Osasuna side should not be a tough demand—under normal circumstances. Los Rojillos currently occupy the 16th position of the Primera Division table with 35 points in 32 games.
Real Madrid Star Cristiano Ronaldo Suffering From Mental Illness
Cristiano Ronaldo is in danger of creating for himself a bigger image of hate. The Real Madrid star knows how to win games, but not the respect of most football fans as he has “a screw loose”.
Last weekend, Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Osasuna’s Pandiani were at the centre of a heated dispute. The Portuguese winger, who couldn’t stand provocation from Pamplona’s embarrassing atmosphere, mocked Pandiani as he questioned the amount of his salary.Cristiano Ronaldo, who earns around £200,000 a week, also voiced out his frustration at Real Madrid’s unfortunate 1-0 loss against Osasuna which put them 7 points behind Barcelona. CR7 blamed his distraction on “constant fouls and more balls than are normally allowed on the field” – something which made the match look like a “naval battle” according to the former Ballon d’Or winner.
Cristiano Ronaldo: FIFA Must Fine Those Haters For God’s Sake!
Cristiano Ronaldo is infuriated and can’t take anymore of the attacks from which he and Real Madrid have been suffering. Ronaldo is asking for haters to be fined for the love of football.
The Portuguese winger suffered an embarrassing 1-0 defeat away to Osasuna on Sunday which came as a huge blow to Real Madrid’s La Liga title hopes. That match was marked by as much as 8 yellow cards for the hosts who committed 24 fouls in the space of 90 minutes.For Cristiano Ronaldo, the game was another annoying encounter with a provoking atmosphere. This only added more frustration to his barren night. In the aftermath of Real Madrid’s defeat to Osasuna, Ronaldo made a public protest as he spoke to Spanish media Marca, saying:
“Constant kicks, more balls than what is normally allowed on the pitch... No, it’s unacceptable for a football match to become a naval battle.
Upset Real Madrid Coach Mourinho Congratulates Osasuna
It seems like the ‘Special One’ hasn’t found the keys to lock Barcelona in a cell as Real Madrid race for La Liga title. Los Blancos went 7 points behind Barca last weekend leaving Mourinho angry.
With Barcelona defeating Hercules 3-0 on Saturday, it was imperative for Real Madrid to overcome Osasuna in Pamplona. However, the Spanish giants fell victims to a spirited side which benefited from Camunas’ 62nd minute solitary strike.This 1-0 defeat did nonetheless not reveal Real Madrid’s dominance in terms of statistics only. Los Blancos enjoyed 66% of possession and had 21 shots on goal compared to Osasuna’s 9. But among their 4 shots which were on target, none deceived goalkeeper Ricardo who saw Casillas tricked by one of Osasuna’s 3 accurate shots at the other end of the field.
Real Madrid Are Strong With Or Without Adebayor – Barca’s Guardiola
Real Madrid don’t need to have new signing Emmanuel Adebayor to make Pep Guardiola wary. The Barcelona coach always has a lot of esteem when it comes to Los Blancos’ potentialities.
Barcelona possess a vital 4-point lead ahead of Real Madrid as they lead La Liga standings. The defending champions have their fate in their own hands and their chances of retaining their crown for the third consecutive season seem bright.However, the cautious Pep Guardiola refuses to get carried away by the mathematical differences that put Barcelona above Real Madrid – not only in El Clasico’s recent history but also in La Liga since the past couple of years. Earlier this week, the Spanish giants successfully signed Emmanuel Adebayor on loan from Manchester City in view of maintaining a competitive squad despite the long-term absence of the injured Gonzalo Higuain.
Cristiano Ronaldo: Real Madrid Will Surely Win Titles With Luck
Real Madrid’s biggest signing Cristiano Ronaldo has talked about the Spanish giants’ chances of achieving success this season. Real Madrid, who broke multiple records in La Liga but got stunned in the Champions League and the Copa del Rey, ended last year empty-handed despite all their efforts.
Now according to Cristiano Ronaldo, the 2010/2011 campaign will see Los Blancos clinching nothing less than at least one trophy. The world’s most expensive player recalled the public that Real Madrid were not tired of trying for glory as it could be read on the club’s official website:
“The goal is always the same: to win. We’ve got a very good team. I’m sure that if we work hard and have a little luck, then we’ll win a title or two this year.”
Cristiano Ronaldo featured for Real Madrid against Real Mallorca on match-day one of La Liga in a game that ended goalless at the disappointment of Barcelona’s fiercest rivals. But Ronaldo picked up an ankle injury in that encounter.
Spanish La Liga – Real Madrid vs Osasuna: Pedro Leon’s Thoughts
Having lost two precious points on match-day one of La Liga, Real Madrid need to bounce back against Osasuna on Saturday.
Real Madrid vs Osasuna will mark Los Blancos’ first home game of the season, and Pedro Leon is eager to help his side start well at the Santiago Bernabeu. Speaking to the club’s sponsor Bwin, the midfielder affirmed:
“We’ll have to play well, and as a tight knit group. In this way, we’ll have a chance to win. It’s not going to be easy, though. I’m sure it will be a difficult match. Yes, Osasuna drew their first match, but they are a battle-hardened team and they’ll pressure a lot. I’m sure they will trouble us.”
1 2