"They will surely suffer": Ex-Osasuna star sends warning to Real Madrid ahead of LaLiga clash

Former Osasuna player and manager Enrique Martin Monreal was in a bullish mood ahead of his former side’s LaLiga clash with Real Madrid on Saturday, February 15. Martin claimed that Los Blancos will have a tough time at El Sadar, emphasizing the passionate home crowd and Osasuna’s strong performances this season.

Carlo Ancelotti’s men are currently at the top of the league standings with 50 points after 23 games. Their clash with Los Rojillos tomorrow will be the reverse fixture between both sides in the 2024-25 LaLiga campaign.

Both sides played the first leg in November at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Real Madrid getting the better of their opponents with a 4-0 victory.

Meanwhile, Osasuna are one of the five teams that have defeated Barcelona in La Liga this season. In fact, it was the Pamplona-based club that handed La Blaugrana their first defeat of the 2024-25 campaign in a league match at El Sadar that ended 4-2.

Speaking ahead of the encounter, Martin issued a stern warning to Real Madrid, reminding them that his former side had already beaten Barcelona this season. Martin said in an interview with Diario AS:

“This year we beat Barcelona here and Madrid will surely suffer because the fans are pressing and Osasuna is doing things very well.”

The 68-year-old believes that matches against elite teams bring out the best in his former club. He further elaborated:

“They are different games, against big teams. The impact is very great and that is a special motivation for the players as well as the public. It happened to us. Madrid or Barcelona came and we played well. Now it also happens. There is no team that does not play well against Madrid or Barcelona.”

“The problem is in scoring. You have to give some connotations like your goalkeeper stops everything, the opposing team doesn’t get it right and that you have two and put three.”

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"We want to win": Osasuna manager Vicente Moreno makes feeling clear ahead of LaLiga clash with Real Madrid

Osasuna manager Vicente Moreno has made his ambitions clear ahead of his side's crucial LaLiga encounter against Real Madrid. The Spaniard said his team is determined to secure all three points rather than settle for a draw.

Speaking to the media in the pre-match press conference, Moreno expressed his excitement and confidence as Osasuna prepares to take on Real Madrid. Moreno said (via Mundo Deportivo):

"The match couldn't be more exciting. It's a top match at all levels. For our fans, it's a match marked on the calendar because of everything it entails and the impact it has. We will try to enjoy the match, being aware of the difficulty. We have to face the game as a family, all of us who make up Osasuna have to be together. Those on the pitch, those of us who are close by, the stands and even you."

"I'm not signing for a draw. It's true that we're drawing a lot of games. We're also losing a few, it's not easy to beat us. We're just a few away from those victories. We want to win, I'm not signing for a draw. Then we'll see what we can accept, but before the game we have the hope of competing and winning. You have to play a perfect game and even then sometimes you don't win against these teams."

He then concluded by saying:

"It's never a good time to host Madrid, they're competitive in any situation. We have to make sure they don't have a good day."