Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid will kick-start their La Liga campaign with a home game against Osasuna on Tuesday.

Real Madrid will be hoping to secure all three points when they host Osasuna in the first La Liga game of the season. While Los Blancos will be eyeing the league title, the visitors will be hoping to secure a top-half finish this time around.

While the FIFA Club World Cup did not really go according to plan for Xabi Alonso’s team, we did get a fair idea of what to expect from them under their new boss. Having failed to win any major titles last time out, Real Madrid will certainly want to do better this time around.

The Merengues have made significant additions to their squad that should help them bridge the gap to Barcelona at the top. Real Madrid have not had much time to prepare for the new season. While there is a risk of them being undercooked, they have enough quality in their ranks to push through and get a positive result.

Meanwhile, Osasuna secured a ninth-placed finish last time out. They were level on points with eighth-placed Rayo Vallecano, who ended up qualifying for Europe. While the away side’s primary objective will be to finish inside the top ten, they will also be eyeing a spot in one of the European competitions.

Osasuna have only signed two players this summer. While they do have a decent squad, a few more quality additions could have certainly helped. An away game against Real Madrid to start the season certainly won’t be easy, but they will be hoping to create an upset. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.

Team News & Tactics

Real Madrid

Xabi Alonso will be without quite a few first-team players as Antonio Rudiger is suspended, Jude Bellingham and Endrick are out injured. Meanwhile, Ferland Mendy and Eduardo Camavinga might not be 100% to feature in this fixture.

Alonso is expected to stick with the 4-3-3 formation against Osasuna, having preferred it since his arrival at Real Madrid. Thibaut Courtois will be in goal for the team in white. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Alvaro Carreras will be the two full-backs; the duo will be making their La Liga debuts.

In the heart of the defence, Eder Militao should partner with Dean Huijsen, who has been very impressive since joining them from Bournemouth. Arda Guler will feature in the midfield alongside Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde. The trio will look to control the tempo of the game.

In the final third, Brahim Diaz could start ahead of Rodrygo Goes. The Moroccan international will then partner with Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Militao, Huijsen, Carreras; Guler, Tchouameni, Valverde; Brahim, Mbappe, Vinicius

Osasuna

The away team do not have any serious injury concerns, but Ruben Garcia and Iker Benito will face a late fitness test to determine their availability. Victor Munoz and Valentin Rosier are the only summer signings for the visitors. While Rosier should find a spot in the XI, Munoz might make his debut off the bench against his former club.

Osasuna will also line up in a 4-3-3 formation against Real Madrid, and Sergio Herrera will take his spot in goal. Rosier and Abel Bretones will be the full-backs, while Alejandro Catena and Enzo Boyomo will pair up in the heart of the defence.

In the centre of the park, Jon Moncayola will start alongside Lucas Torro and Aimar Oroz. While Los Blancos are expected to have the majority of the ball, the trio will look to ensure they do not dominate possession too deep in their half.

Skipper Kike Barja and Moi Gomez will feature on the flanks, providing much-needed width to their attacks. Meanwhile, Ante Budimir will lead the line for Osasuna against Real Madrid on Monday night.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Herrera; Rosier, Catena, Boyomo, Bretones; Torro, Moncayola, Oroz; Kike Barja, Budimir, M Gomez

Key Stats

• Osasuna only won one out of their five pre-season friendly games.
• Real Madrid have only featured in one friendly ahead of the new season as their previous campaign ended very late because of their participation in the Club World Cup.
• Los Rojillos will be featuring in their seventh-straight season in the Spanish top flight.
• Los Blancos have not lost to Osasuna since 2011.
• Osasuna secured a 1-1 draw when they last faced Real Madrid back in February.

Player to Watch

Kylian Mbappe

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While Mbappe had a slow start to life in Madrid, he eventually picked up pace and finished with 44 goals and five assists in his 59 outings. All eyes will be on the French international, who has taken over the number ten jersey from Luka Modric.

The 26-year-old will certainly have a big say on the end result of the game. Given the kind of form he has been in, there are high chances of him being on the scoresheet in this fixture. With Vinicius and Brahim Diaz in his support, Mbappe could do a lot of damage here.

Prediction

Real Madrid 3-1 Osasuna

Real Madrid will be eager to kick off the new La Liga season on the right note when they host Osasuna at the Santiago Bernabeu. Despite a disrupted pre-season and a few key absentees, Xabi Alonso’s men still boast enough quality to dominate proceedings, especially in the final third.

Osasuna, meanwhile, will look to stay compact and hit Real Madrid on the counter. While they do not arrive with the same firepower, Ante Budimir’s presence up front and the width offered by Kike Barja and Moi Gomez could cause the hosts some problems if they are not alert defensively. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for the home team.