Real Madrid drew Osasuna 0-0 in Pamplona earlier this year, and they had a similar result at the Santiago Bernabeu. There was no snow, but there was yet another frustrating low block to meet Los Blancos. Osasuna have played quite well this season, and David Garcia and Co. played out of their minds defensively to frustrate Real.
It was a departure from the performance we saw last week against Shakhtar Donetsk, and Real were not as effective in transition as they were this weekend at Barcelona.
Here are the player ratings from the 0-0 draw at the Bernabeu.
GK Thibaut Courtois
The Real Madrid goalkeeper didn’t have to make any outrageous stops, as Osasuna barely cared to attack. He did have a couple of nice sweeper actions, though, and was positive on the ball.
Rating: 6.5
LB Ferland Mendy
Ferland Mendy has been excellent since returning from injury, quite literally changing the team’s structure and defense for the better. He does, however, struggle with his crossing, and that was the case against Osasuna. Mendy just could not find an accurate delivery and was thus subbed in the second half for the veteran Marcelo. That said, he did not play poorly and did a good job of providing width and accurate passing on the ground to support Vinicius Junior.
Rating: 6.5
CB David Alaba
David Alaba had a quiet match. We did not see him make any standout plays offensively like he did in El Clasico, but he passed and defended well for the team. The former Bayern Munich man is one of the most consistent players on the team.
Rating: 7.0
CB Eder Militao
Eder Militao was arguably the best player on the pitch for Real Madrid, essentially standing toe-to-toe with David Garcia’s work on the visitors’ end. The Brazilian center back is having a sensational season, and he had another lights-out performance on Wednesday night. Militao helped the team offensively with some charging runs and one positive effort on goal. Thus, he finished the match with three dribbles completed and a shot on target. Militao also had four clearances and often won the ball to stop counters before they could develop.
Rating: 8.0
RB Dani Carvajal
Dani Carvajal cannot be blamed for Osasuna’s best chance of the match, in which Jon Moncayola somehow hit the post. The Spanish right back actually did a great job of covering to prevent Chimy Avila from hitting an early ball for a sure-fire goal. That said, Carvajal wasn’t at his best in this one, perhaps dragged down by having to work with the lethargic Marco Asensio on the right flank. But he can’t blame Asensio for the poor passing and his own lackadaisical work on the ball.
Rating: 5.0