Real Madrid 2-0 Osasuna: Six observations and tactical review | LaLiga 2019-20

Goals from teenage Brazilian prodigies Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo Goes propelled Real Madrid to the top of the LaLiga table and established a one-point lead over rivals Atlético Madrid heading into the Madrid Derby.

The victory marked the third consecutive victory for Zinedine Zidane's side in LaLiga.

After a rather sluggish start to the game, Vinícius Júnior produced a moment of individual brilliance to break the deadlock in the 36th minute before debutant Rodrygo Goes enlightened the Bernabeu faithful with a goal of supreme quality to take the game beyond the reach of Osasuna.

Here are six observations from Los Blancos' mid-week victory against Osasuna.

---

#1 Zidane rekindles the 'B' team memories from 2016-17

Real Madrid CF v CA Osasuna - La Liga

Considering the injury concerns and the Madrid Derby, the Frenchman made no less than eight changes to the side that faced Sevilla at the weekend, with just Sergio Ramos, Toni Kroos, and Casemiro retaining their spots.

It was a throwback to his famous 'B' team formula that conjured success for him during the double-winning 2016-17 campaign.

During 2016-17, players such as Danilo, James Rodríguez, Marco Asensio, Álvaro Morata, Mateo Kovačić, Isco, Kiko Casilla, and Nacho were the faces of Zidane's rotational ploy.

This season, however, with most of these players having left the club and the rest injured, the likes of Fede Valverde, Vinícius Júnior, Luka Jović, Álvaro Odriozola, Alphonse Areola, and Lucas Vázquez have stepped up in the absence of instrumental figures.

It was because of this formula that Zidane was able to create a historic team and win a Champions League three-peat.

This is not the end though, as Zidane has emphasized how LaLiga is the most important trophy for him. And there is no denying that he will have to rely on second-string players to help him overcome the hurdles that a 38-game season brings along with itself.

Also check out: Premier League Table La Liga Table Champions League Schedule

#2 Impressive defensive performances

Militão was a standout performer for Real Madrid

Éder Militão put out a mighty performance on his first start at the Santiago Bernabeu. Although he received a yellow card in the initial stages of the game, his 1 v 1 defending, recovery pace, reading of the game, composure, and intercepting play had a pivotal role to play.

Sergio Ramos was his usual self, sniffing out attacks and circulating the ball around with accuracy. The defence nearly impenetrable apart from an occasion or two, and Ramos formed a lethal partnership at the back with Militão.

Full-backs Odriozola and Nacho had contrasting displays. While the former motored up and down the right flank, linking up well with Vázquez and causing trouble to Osasuna's defence, the latter, who made his first appearance this season, had a mediocre outing at best.

Odriozola's attacking impact on Real Madrid's game was there to see once again, as he made over-lapping and under-lapping runs in the final third.

At one such instance, he hounded the defenders with his athleticism and made his way into the Osasuna box and laid a cross that almost resulted in an own goal, or a goal for Luka Jović had he not fired the shot over the bar.

Odriozola's ability to recover ground if his man has an extra yard or two is extraordinary. Although he is a work in progress, he can be a reliable fixture in Dani Carvajal's absence.

Nacho, one of Zidane's most trusted defenders during 2016-17, has had a poor run of form. He clearly struggled, having negligible attacking impact. From a defensive point of view though, his performance was decent and he will only improve with more minutes under his belt.

#3 Areola handed a surprise debut by Zidane

Areola wasn't required as Osasuna failed to register a single shot on target

For the second consecutive game, Real Madrid succeeded in keeping a clean sheet.

Osasuna failed to register a single shot on target, which pretty much sums up debutant Alphonse Areola's night.

However, he did impress the Bernabeu faithful as he exuded confidence with his ball-handling. He wasn't afraid to run off his line, complemented by the fact that he made a good block in the first half.

The most impressive highlight of his debut was his leap akin to an NBA player, where he collected a cross using just his right hand.

All in all, it was a very encouraging performance from the debutant.

---

#4 Kroos and Casemiro continue to shore up the midfield

Toni Kroos has started the season in fine form

Toni Kroos dictated the tempo of the game and assisted Vinícius Jr for the first goal of the night. He orchestrated the game from the middle third with his accurate passing. With a team-high 4 shots, the German showed an eye for goal.

Fede Valverde's inclusion in the line-up meant Casemiro was provided with a tad more freedom to advance up the field. He dominated the proceedings, as he was a wall in front of the defence. He made some crucial tackles to breakdown the attacks by Osasuna.

Valverde didn't contribute significantly in either offence or defence. However, for a player who made a return from injury and had only a 14-minute cameo against Sevilla, the amount of energy and effort in his game was commendable.

#5 Luka Jović's abysmal form continues

Luka Jović's goal was ruled out for offside by VAR

Just when the Real Madrid fans and the Serbian himself thought that the goalscoring drought was finally over, VAR intervened to exacerbate Luka Jović's situation at Real Madrid.

The 21-year-old's luck hasn't panned out, as he is yet to open his Real Madrid account. The forward had two guilt-edge opportunities to score in the first half, only to sky the shot over the bar in both attempts.

In the second half, Vázquez teed Jović up with a subtle through ball, which the Serbian finished calmly, only for the goal to be later ruled out for offside by a nail's length.

---

#6 Brazilian flair bewilders the Bernabeu

Vinícius Júnior broke down into tears after scoring

If you compare the Vinícius Jr of last season to the Vinícius Jr of this season, there is a stark contrast.

The Brazilian wonder kid was the focal point of an impotent Real Madrid forward line, as he displayed a lot of exuberance and was a consistently incredible performer for Santiago Solari.

This season, on the flip side, portrays a very different story as he seems to have lost all the confidence.

Against Osasuna, he meandered without producing any chances. Apart from a couple of occasions, he found it difficult to beat his marker and dribble his way past them. He was often dispossessed and most of his passes (before he scored the goal) had no intent.

This was the first match in his Real Madrid career where he was whistled, at times even before he received the ball. This coincided with the fact that Real Madrid weren't able to penetrate into the final third with danger.

As luck would have it, Vinícius Jr scored a blinder out of nowhere, with his shot taking a slight deflection off an Osasuna defender.

This was his first goal this season and it was an emotional moment for the teenager.

The spike in his confidence levels was evident as his decision-making improved and he was a constant menace to the Osasuna defence thereafter.

Rodrygo marked his Real Madrid debut with a great goal

18-year-old debutant Rodrygo Goes introduced himself to Europe in exquisite fashion, as he scored on his Real Madrid debut with a sublime finish, merely 93 seconds after replacing Vinícius Jr, making him the second-fastest player after Ronaldo Nazário (62 seconds) to score his first LaLiga goal for Los Blancos.

His goal ensured that Osasuna defenders finished the game dancing to the Samba tunes in a match where all the four Brazilian players - Militão, Casemiro, Vinícius Jr, and Rodrygo himself - left an imprint with stellar individual performances.

His goal, however, doesn't make a strong case for him to be selected for the trip to Wanda Metropolitano since Zidane has stated that Rodrygo will play for Castilla this week-end.