This could be a under rated test for Zinedine Zidane tonight. He seems to be facing constant pressure and the derby against Atletico Madrid this weekend could be huge. If he can bounce back from the PSG defeat with three straight wins then the pressure should subside for a while.
Real Madrid managed to scrape a 1-0 win away to Sevilla at the weekend and continue tonight with a home game against mid table Osasuna.
On paper this should be an easy home victory, but when you look a bit deeper there are some potential problems that could make this a tough game.
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Firstly a report from Marca has outlined the squad for the game. Marcelo is injured so Nacho looks likely to step in at left-back. It’s not his natural position and he won’t be as effective going forward as the Brazilian would be.
Interestingly, after trying to force him out the door all Summer, Gareth Bale has been a key player for Zidane this season. The Welshman wants a rest so looks set to miss this game, again another first team player that Zidane would rather have playing.
With so many games in a short space of time it looks like some of the back up players will get a chance to play tonight. That includes Vinicius, Jovic and Rodrygo. They are players who have shown flashes but not enough to play consistently so far, if the team plays badly they might not have enough to provide a spark.
The opposition don’t look like a complete push over either. Osasuna are undefeated have already taken a point off Barcelona this season. Real have struggled against Real Valladolid and Levante at home this season so it looks like another tough test for Zidane.
It just goes to show how quickly things can change in Madrid. If he wins the next two games then there’s nothing for Zidane to worry about, however a draw here and a loss against Atletico this weekend could be the end. He really needs his squad players to step up for him tonight.