La Liga: Real Madrid vs Osasuna! Request to postpone match denied, are Real Madrid forced to swallow their disappointment?

Our first topic today isLa Liga: Real Madrid vs Osasuna!

Yesterday, we discussed Betis, whose preparation went terribly, and in the end, they truly let their supporters down.

Now, I'm also feeling a bit uneasy about Real Madrid's readiness for this game.

In fact,Real Madrid themselves are probably quite concerned, as they formally submitted a request to postpone the match, but it was turned down.

So, will they end up performing as poorly as Betis did?

Real Madrid's request to delay the game was actually reasonable, because typically, players need at least 21 days for both physical and tactical preparation; otherwise, they're mentally fatigued and more prone to injuries.

Osasuna, being a loyal partner to Real Madrid, naturally also supported the idea of postponing the match.

However, unexpectedly,this mutually agreeable arrangement between Real Madrid and Osasuna was rejected by the La Liga authorities.

This means Real Madrid's preparation time is inevitably rushed and incomplete.

First, Real Madrid only had 15 days to get ready.

This is the shortest preseason in the club’s more than 120-year history!

Last season, they suffered many injuries, played on multiple fronts, and even went to the U.S. in the heat for the Club World Cup... The players really needed a break.

Fitness coach Ruiz even warned that Real Madrid would need heavy rotation to protect their squad, and that players wouldn’t reach peak condition until mid-September.

Second, Alonso has been hesitant to increase training intensity

They only played one warm-up match, and their opponent wasa team valued at just 8.15 million eurosfrom the Austrian league fighting relegation, whose budget is barely one two-hundredth of Real Madrid’s.

This was purely a warm-up, simply to help the players regain some confidence and rhythm by facing a much weaker side.

However, with such a huge gap in quality, it provides almost no real test for the team.

Just look at the opponents Real Madrid used to face in preseason friendlies!

Last season, they played against Barcelona, Chelsea... even the weakest was AC Milan...

But now, they're facing a team whose budget is only a fraction of theirs...

This shows Alonso is not confident in his players' physical state and is worried that pushing too hard could cause injuries.

In fact,Alonso didn’t increase training intensity until the 16th, which left only three days before the opening match, so the players may not be in top form.

Actually, the problem of insufficient preparation time isn’t unique to Real Madrid; other clubs have faced it too.

So far, among all the top five league teams that played in the Club World Cup, six have already played their opening matches,and only Manchester City managed to satisfy their fans,while the others have all struggled.

The reason is simple,if you want the huge rewards of the Club World Cup, you have to pay a price.

Why do most top leagues resist the Club World Cup? For example, La Liga president Tebas has openly stated he will do everything possible to oppose it.

It’s because, while FIFA and the participating clubs benefit, the Club World Cup is actually damaging to the top five leagues.

Moreover,Tebas and Real Madrid have always been at odds, and Perez has long tried to oust him—his position is under threat... So why would he show any goodwill? Cutting off someone’s income is a serious matter, right?

Last season, the conflict between Real Madrid and the La Liga officials was a major story, dominating football headlines for a long time.

Now that Real Madrid have enjoyed themselves abroad, they want to come home and delay their match? Things don’t work that way.

Even from a fairness perspective, postponing the game wouldn’t be just to Barcelona and other title contenders.

All in all, it’s actually normal for most top five league teams participating in the Club World Cup to struggle; it would be surprising if they performed well.

So, if Real Madrid also underperform, maybe it shouldn’t be too much of a shock?

As for Osasuna, can they satisfy their fans? I think they’ll do their best to keep things tight and, at worst, lose by only one goal.

That’s it for today’s other matches. I’ll continue to share my thoughts with you all tonight. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. “Watch football, understand football”—see you later!

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