Punters should get on Gonzalo to strike first for Real Madrid against Osasuna!
Real Madrid have only beaten Osasuna twice in their last five encounters, but their overall record against that side is compelling, winning 26 of the 33 matches between the two clubs in La Liga. And Los Blancos should have little trouble in dispatching with Jose Luis Mendilibar's men at the Bernabeu on Sunday morning.
Following 10 fixtures in the Spanish top-flight this season, Madrid leads the way with a point in hand of reigning champions Barcelona. It’s still early days, but Los Merengues have made an impressive start to 2011/12, domestically and in the Champions League, and they’re unbeaten in the Primera Division at home this term, and have averaged no less than 4.25 goals per game in the league.
Cristiano Ronaldo took his tally to 100 goals in a Madrid shirt when netting a brace during his side’s 2-0 victory away to Lyon in their midweek Champions League fixture. However, while goals are going in left, right and centre for Jose Mourinho’s men, they’re proving to be very strong defensively, too. Indeed, the Portuguese’s charges haven’t conceded a single goal in their last five in all competitions.
The visitors will be high on confidence after lowering the colours of third-placed Levante last weekend, which took them up to eighth in the table, and Mendilibar is unlikely to make many – in any – changes to the starting XI he fielded on that occasion. But while Mourinho will have to make do without Ricardo Carvalho, Fabio Coentrao and Marcelo, he possess more enough depth in his squad to readily paper over those cracks.
Gonzalo Higuain has made a good start to the season; he’s currently joint-second in the goal scoring charts along with Ronaldo, both having netted 10 times, with Barca’s Lionel Messi leading the way on 13. Higuain was left out of the match against Lyon and, likely to be handed the lone striker role, I reckon the Argentinean is a good bet at 3-1 (available with Paddy Power, 888sport and Blue Square at the time of writing) to score first in a game Real should win with authority.