Real Madrid 4 - 2 Osasuna (Spanish League, Day 38)

Pleasant spectacle at the Bernabeu to bring the season to a close. Real Madrid won against Osasuna and ended the season as the only team in the big European leagues that has not lost a home match. Higuain, who scored the Whites’ 100th league goal of the season, opened the scoring and Essien scored the second before the break. The visitors equalised after the break with goals from Roberto Torres and Cejudo, but Benzema put Real Madrid back in front and Callejon, following a spectacular run of more than 20 metres by Higuain, put the finishing touches to an exciting match in which academy players Omar and Llorente made their debuts.

End of cycle with a win

Real Madrid brought down the curtain on the season with the intention of finishing the campaign as the only team in the big European leagues to have not lost a single home match. At least that is what the start of the match showed. The Whites dominated possession, although the first opportunity fell to Osasuna. A headed shot by Llorente and extraordinary response from Jesus. The full-stretch save by the Whites’ academy player earned him the crowd’s applause on 14 minutes and his team reacted, having scored twice and having had, at least, six chances to increase the scoreline in the following half hour.

The nice individual pieces of play by Modric and Essien, including a nutmegs from both deserved more in the 25th and 32nd minutes respectively, but the first goal came shortly afterwards. Di Maria stepped over the ball with a dummy that wrong-footed the visitors' defense 30 metres outside the area which left his compatriot Higuain in a one-on-one with Riesgo. The Whites’ captain for the day made no mistake in the 35th minute and opened the scoring with Real Madrid’s 100th La Liga goal and 150th overall this season. They were not happy with just being ahead and increased the distance three minutes later. It came from a corner taken by Ozil and finished with a header from Essien. The home side's fierce counter and the two noteworthy saves by Jesus were instrumental in the Whites going in at the break with the score in their favour.

Real Madrid could have ended the match as a contest within three minutes of the restart. Ozil combined with Benzema and, slightly off balance, found himself inside the six-yard box and shot, but Riesgo came out of the one-on-one on top. His teammate Roberto Torres was just as good when he pulled one back in the 52nd minute with a nice shot into the far corner from the edge of the box. The match was nice to watch and chances were created alternately by each side. In fact, Callejon could have had the home team’s third goal, but Riesgo shone once again in another one-on-one in the 55th minute.

The first half showed Real Madrid’s strength on the counter but in the second the tables were turned. The Whites created chances but were not successful and Osasuna took advantage of the ones that they created. In the 63rd minute Cejudo equalised from a Nano cross that was flicked on at the near post by Onwu. There were 27 minutes left and it was still all to play for in the Bernabeu. Benzema cleared things up in the 69th minute. This time there was a change of roles compared with the opening play of the second half. Ozil was on hand to make the assist for the Frenchman who did not miss. Callejon, following a spectacular run of more than 20 metres by Higuain, put the finishing touches to an exciting match in which academy players Omar and Llorente made their debuts.

Summary

Stadium: Santiago Bernabeu
Attendance: 55,000
Goals: 1-0 Higuain min.35; 2-0 Essien min.38; 2-1 Torres min.52; 2-2 Cejudo min.63; 3-2 Benzema min.69; 4-2 Callejon min.87