Quote from: Luzin on August 19, 2025, 09:52:05 AM

Quote from: $crypto$ on August 19, 2025, 09:41:27 AM

However, surprises are not uncommon, meaning Real Madrid may not capitalize on their advantage this skepticism about potential surprises aside, the one certainty is that Real Madrid will win.

I agree, Madrid should win. But remember, Osasuna isn’t a weak team. Madrid will be without Mendy, Camavinga, Endrick, Beligham, and Rudiger. Alonso’s debut match has sparked great hope among the fans. Alongside Alonso, Madrid has signed several players like Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dean Huijsen, Alvaro Carreras, and Mastantuono. I feel fairly optimistic that Madrid can secure three points. They must start the league with zero mistakes, as every match is crucial. Last season, under Ancelotti, they made mistakes in several matches and struggled to secure three points.

The first week of matches for Madrid went quite well, despite some of their defenders still being injured. However, the new players seem to be performing exceptionally well.

Huijsen, as the defensive midfielder, played exceptionally well in this match for Carreras. He was also quite active in overlapping and did not lag behind when anticipating counterattacks, which has sparked new hope for Madrid's defense this season.
The performances of Militao and Carvajal also need no questioning, despite their previous ACL issues, so I think there is a good sense of optimism if Xabi can continue to do the same in every Madrid match this season.

The issue now may be how Madrid can help their finishers develop better instincts for scoring goals. Mbappe isn't bad, but his performance was still lacking in the first match. However, we know that his performance improved gradually last season and he even became the top scorer, so hopefully this season will be the same.