Osasuna 0-2 Real Madrid: Federico Valverde and Marco Asensio on target as Carlo Ancelotti’s side overcome hosts

Real Madrid left it late to beat Osasuna 1-0 in Pamplona to keep their La Liga hopes intact.

Federico Valverde made a gut-busting run to get on the end of a Vinicius Junior cross to put Madrid ahead in the 78th minute.

Osasuna controlled the majority of a relatively uneventful first half and had better chances to go ahead.

Lucas Torro got himself in a great position, unmarked, to latch on the end of a cross, but Ante Budimir got in his way and guided a stretched header over the bar in a let-off for Madrid.

The visitors struggled to make an impact in Osasuna’s final third, with most of the ball played in their own half, and Vinicius became visibly frustrated as chances came few and far between.

Another great chance fell to the hosts minutes before the break, with Budimir getting on the end of a deflected cross that fell into his path on the edge of the box, but as he tried to wrap his foot around the ball, he sent it just wide.

Madrid upped their game a gear in the second half and had two good chances to make an impact.

Rodrygo chopped inside and unleashed a dangerous shot but it flashed across the face of goal before going wide, and Vinicius did excellently to weave past the Osasuna defence before Sergio Herrera rushed off his line to deny him from close range.

Osasuna came closest to a breakthrough when Moi Gomez cut inside and struck the post with a low effort from the edge of the box.

The home side continued to threaten, but couldn’t turn chances into goals.

They would go on to rue their missed opportunities, however, when Madrid burst down the field and Valverde broke the deadlock in the 78th minute.

In a really worked move, Luka Modric – given a free rein – slipped the ball to Vinicius on the left flank, whose pass matched Valverde’s run in the middle of the box, and the midfielder dispatched instinctively to put Madrid ahead.

Madrid thought they had a second through Vinicius in the first minute of additional time, but it was ruled out for offside following a VAR check.

They did however find the net a second time one minute later when Marco Asensio doubled Los Blancos’ lead.

The result means Madrid remain second but close the gap on league leaders Barcelona to five points, with the latter in action on Sunday night.

TALKING POINT – MADRID CLOSE THE GAP ON BARCELONA, BUT AT WHAT COST?

Madrid reduced the deficit at the top of the La Liga table to five points – potentially denying Barcelona the opportunity to prematurely run away with the title – but they left it all out there in their bid to overcome Osasuna.

Some might say the La Liga is already beyond them with Barcelona firing on all cylinders domestically, and that retaining the Champions League is their best chance of success. They have a replay of last years final with Liverpool to look forward to in midweek, but will their all-out win against Osasuna have taken its toll? Only time will tell.

Liverpool also played on Saturday night, in a much more comfortable 2-0 win over Newcastle.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH – FEDERICO VALVERDE (REAL MADRID)

There wasn’t really a standout player for Madrid as such, with the side struggling for the majority, but Valverde barely put a foot wrong and was clinical when it really mattered.

His goal tonight was his sixth in La Liga, and 11 in all competitions for Madrid this season, as he becomes an ever-present player in Carlo Ancelotti’s side.

MATCH RATINGS

OSASUNA: Herrera 7, Moncayola 6, U.Garcia 5, D.Garcia 6, Sanchez 6, Brasanac 6, Torro 6, Gomez 6, R. Garcia 6, Budimir 6, Ezzalzouli 6

Subs: Moreno 6, Oroz 6, Barja N/A, Kike N/A

MADRID: Courtois 8, Alaba 7, Fernandez 7, Rudiger 7, Militao 7, Camavinga 7, Modric 7, Cebellos 7, Valverde 8, Rodrygo 6, Vinicius 8

Subs:Carvajal 6, Hazard N/A, Asensio 7, Rodriguez N/A

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS

14’ – CHANCE OSASUNA! Ante Budimir gets in Torro’s way as the ball floats into the box and his stretched header is wayward.

43’ – WHAT A CHANCE FOR OSASUNA! Budimir is found on the edge of the box and the striker tries to wrap his foot around the ball with a first-time effort, but it’s just wide!

48’ – RODRYGO’S SHOT FLASHES WIDE! He cuts inside and gets his shot away, but it flashes across the face of goal before going wide on the far side. It’s the first time we’ve seen anything from the forward tonight.

57’ – BEST CHANCE OF THE GAME FOR MADRID! Vinicius weaves his way into a position to shoot, but Herrera comes off his line quickly to deny the forward from close range.

62’ – OFF THE POST! Gomez cuts inside and strikes the woodwork with a low shot! That’s the closest we’ve come to a breakthrough.

78’ – GOAL! SASUOLO 0-1 REAL MADRID (VALVERDE): It was a really worked goal from Los Blancos. Modric is given a free rein and slips the ball to Vinicius on the left flank, whose pass matches Valverde’s run in the middle of the box, and the midfielder dispatches instinctively to put Madrid ahead.

89’ – GOAL! SASUOLO 0-2 REAL MADRID (VINCIUS): Vinicius is all alone in the box and makes it 2-0 with a neat finish into the bottom corner. Game, set, match!

90’+1 – NO GOAL! VAR have intervened and ruled the goal out for the tightest of offsides. It’s not clear who was offside, but it may well have been Vinicius. It remains 1-0.

90’+2 – GOAL! SAUOLO 0-2 REAL MADRID (ASENSIO): Madrid have the ball in the net again, and it looks like this one will count!

KEY STAT