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Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti believes his side showed ‘great character and attitude to not lose’ following their 2-2 draw with Osasuna.

Los Blancos came back from a two goal deficit and Sergio Ramos’ sending off to take a valuable point, with goals from Isco late in the first half and then Pepe once Osasuna were reduced to ten men.

“I think that the first 20 minutes were very good,” Ancelotti told the press. “It’s incredible to think about seeing a game like that. Once it was 2-0 and we were down to ten men, that was incredible.

“The team’s reaction was very good. I want to thank them for getting the draw and nearly winning at the end. We suffered a lot. In the end, I think that the team showed great character and attitude to not lose this match”.

The Italian explained the changes he made during the match: “Di María came on to play 4-3-2, like we did against Galatasaray. Modric took a knock in the game against Copenhagen and was starting to have a few problems so I took him off. I sent Jesé on to play wide and put in some crosses”.

Ancelotti refused to discuss the refereeing and Ramos’ sending off: “I don’t like talking about the referee’s decisions. It’s difficult to understand that decision because the two cards are…Maybe the first one was a foul. I don’t know”.

When asked what his team were lacking, Ancelotti said: “Nothing, really. Maybe we lost control of the game a little after the first goal. The first 20 minutes the team played well.

“They played with a lot of quality and rhythm. That’s why I think that it’s incredible to finish with this result after losing 2-0 with ten men at the end of the first half. I don’t we made too many mistakes.

“The team was well positioned in the first half. In the second half, we played differently, with more intensity, more balance to look for an equalizer. The team showed character and did well”.

Follow Louis Gibberd-Thomas on Twitter: @mercutio156

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Real Madrid dropped two points at El Sadar in an incredible contest. Carlo Ancelotti men came back from a 2-0 despite playing with ten men for more than 45 minutes after Sergio Ramos red card.

Isco reduced the deficit in stoppage time of the first half and Pepe equalised after Osasuna were down to ten men in the last 15 minutes.

Los Blancos dominated the opening exchanges and they could have easily found themselves on the scoresheet early on had Cristiano Ronaldo netted any of the two clear chances he had.

However, his first effort was well blocked by the defence and he dragged his second shot on target wide of the post when he was completely unmarked.

When Los Merengues were playing their best game, Osasuna made it 1-0 as Oriol Riera headed a cross from Marc Bertran to the back of the net.

Just two minutes later Real was denied a clear penalty. Luka Modric was chopped down inside the box, but the referee wasn’t interested.

The hosts slowly started to gain confidence, while Madrid struggled to control the game. A few minutes before half-time, Riera doubled the Rojillos lead in a corner kick. Diego Lopez denied Damia Abella’s header with a brilliant save, but Riera was there to net the follow-up.

The match seemed completely lost for Los Blancos one minute before the interval, when Sergio Ramos was sent off after being shown a second yellow for elbowing Roberto Torres.

However, one minute later, despite being down to ten men, Isco gave the visitors hopes of making a heroic come-back with a brilliant shot from outside the area to the bottom left corner.

Carlo Ancelotti’s men started the the second half very motivated, completely dominating the possession. Nevertheless, they were unable to find a way through Osasuna’s defence.

The visitors started to show certain tiredness and the Rojillos could have definitely sealed the victory. Diego Lopez denied Osasuna’s best chance with a superb save when Roberto Torres shot from inside the box.

The match changed significantly 15 minutes before the end: Osasuna were down to ten men as Francisco Silva was shown a second yellow card and Pepe equalised with a header meeting Isco’s cross in the free kick.

From that moment until the referee’s whistle, it was a win or bust for Madrid. Los Blancos continued to flood forward while Osasuna dropped deeper and deeper. However, they were not able to score the winner.

Besides dropping to crucial points in La Liga, Real Madrid will have to face Valencia next week without their three best centre-backs, since Raphael Varane is injured and Sergio Ramos and Pepe will be sidelined due to suspension.

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Osasuna Real Madrid match preview

Real Madrid visit Osasuna this afternoon in their second to last league match before the winter break, and can draw level on points with leaders Barcelona, if only for a few hours, if they come away with a win.

It would not be wise for Carlo Ancelotti’s men to take the game at the El Sadar stadium lightly though, as big teams, including Madrid, have struggled there in recent years. The vocal home support and their proximity to the pitch make it an intimidating place to go.

Indeed, Barcelona dropped their first points of the season there in a 0-0 draw, while Los Blancos have only won twice in Pamplona in six years. Interestingly, both those victories were in years when they went on to win the league, so a victory today could be a good omen.

In terms of team news, Italian boss Ancelotti has said there won’t be too many changes from the side that won in Copenhagen this week. Raphael Varane will once again sit out proceedings with his knee injury still causing problems. Coentrao is still unavailable, and although Luka Modric picked up a knock midweek, he should be in the squad at least.

Probable line ups:

Osasuna:Andres Fernández, Marc Bertán, Jordan Lotiès, Alejandro Arribas, Damià, Lolo, Francisco Silva, Álvaro Cejudo, Emiliano Armenteros, Roberto Torres, Oriol Riera

Real Madrid:

Diego López, Dani Carvajal, Pepe, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo, Asier Illarramendi, Xabi Alonso, Gareth Bale, Isco, Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema

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After closing the Champions League group stage with a victory over Copenhagen, Real Madrid returns to La Liga action. But their next clash is not going to be precisely an easy one, since they’ll have to pay a visit to El Sadar.

Osasuna’s stadium has traditionally been one of the most difficult trips for Real Madrid, despite the hosts being regularly placed in the bottom part of the table.

Jose Mourinho could warn Carlo Ancelotti about the danger of not giving 100 per cent at Osasuna’s ground. In two of his three seasons at Real, the Portuguese’s men spoiled their chances of winning La Liga after dropping points at El Sadar.

In the 2010-2011 season, Los Blancos lost 1-0 in January, reaching a seven point deficit with the league’s leaders Barcelona. That difference would be impossible to reduce and the Catalans won the title that season.

That same situation took place last year. Los Merengues closed a terrible first half of La Liga dropping two valuable points in a goalless draw in Pamplona. That result left them with no chances of winning the title, sitting 18 points behind Barca. The Azulgranas would go on to easily win the championship.

Curiously enough, the only time Mourinho was able to win at El Sadar, he conquered his only league with Los Merengues. It was in 2012, when Real emphatically beat Osasuna 1-5. In fact, in the last six seasons, Los Blancos have only earned two victories in Pamplona, and both times they ended up as La Liga winners.

Thus, Ancelotti must have already been warned about the importance of the game against the Rojillos.

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Osasuna Real Madrid betting preview

Although Osasuna sit in the lower part of the La Liga table, the big teams tend to find a visit to the Reyno de Navarra stadium a tough task.

As our columnist Alvaro Heralta points out this week, Los Blancos only won once there in the three visits they made during Jose Mourinho’s era. And current champions Barcelona dropped their first points of the season there on their most recent trip there. The last time Los Blancos visited, they drew 0-0, a result that left the 18 points behind the Catalans last season and killing off any hope of a title challenge.

But this year things should be different. Madrid are in somewhat of a purple patch in La Liga and have been in sensational from since their defeat to Barcelona at the end of October. Meanwhile, the home side are struggling for goals having sold their top scorer in Kike Sola. Eleven goals in 15 outings this term tells its own story.

For that reason it is not surprise that Carlo Ancelotti’s men can be found at 1/4 to pick up the three points, whereas the hosts are outsiders at 9/1.

Cristiano Ronaldo make a goalscoring comeback from injury during the week, and is the favourite to score the opening goal at 2/1. He has 67 goals in all competitions to date this year, and with three games left in 2013, few would bet against him surpassing the legendary Pele’s record of 75 goals in a year. He is a 6/1 to score a hat trick.

 

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Real Madrid press report 14-12-13

Madrid sports newspapers emphasize today the fact that Real Madrid face a difficult match in their visit to Osasuna.

“Be careful,” Marca titles, pointing out both Real Madrid and Barcelona “seek to avoid a blunder in their tricky games.”

“Real Madrid put their faith in Cristiano Ronaldo to succeed at El Sadar,” Marca states. Barcelona have already dropped points at that stadium this season, and today they also face a difficult test with Villarreal’s visit to the Camp Nou.

The other main Madrid sports daily, As, titles in its front page “A bull in a foreign rodeo,” in a reference to Ronaldo’s great state of form being tested in Pamplona.

“If he scores today, he’ll beat Di Stefano’s 71 goals outside the Santiago Bernabeu and Hugo Sanchez’s 164 goals in La Liga,” As highlights.

In other news, As brings to its front page Carlo Ancelotti’s latest words about Xabi Alonso’s contract renewal. “I spoke to him to tell him we all want him to stay, now he has to decide,” the Italian told the press.

* Follow Real Madrid News on Twitter

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Real Madrid will face a tough task when they take on Osasuna this afternoon at the El Sadar stadium, according to boss Carlo Ancelotti.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, the Italian manager said the trip to Navarra is always a difficult one to make, despite the home side’s lowly position in the league. Champions Barcelona dropped their first points of the season there in a 0-0 draw, while Madrid have only won twice there in the last six seasons – both times they went on to with the league.

Ancelotti said today’s trip would be no different to previous encounters, despite Osasuna struggling for goals, having scored only 11 in their first 15 matches.

“Osasuna are a tough team to beat at home. They are very organised and it is important to be focused and do our best to win. The team’s attitude is good and we are playing with clear ideas. We are doing very well at the moment and we have to keep it going because the season is long. We have to keep playing with the same attitude and getting good results,” Ancelotti stated.

He also revealed he would stick largely to the team that beat FC Copenhagen on Tuesday night in the Champions League, with no new injuries to report and the players having had time to recover from the trip to Denmark.

“I will not make many changes from the Copenhagen match. The players are well recovered after Tuesday and we have to give our all because it is always a difficult place to visit,” he added.

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Real Madrid club captain Iker Casillas could be headed to Arsenal after the 2013-14 season if he does not see more playing time, according to various reports this week.

Several news outlets attributed Spanish newspaper El Confidencial as reporting that the goalkeeper is becoming dissatisfied with his lack of league appearances under manager Carlo Ancelotti and may leave in the summer transfer window.

Although the Madrid no. 1 has expressed a desire to stay several times this season, rumours indicate he is growing unhappy with his first-team opportunities, and this has grabbed the attention of Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.

Were the 32-year-old Spaniard to leave, he could join former Madrid teammate Mesut Özil and Spanish teammates Santi Cazorla and Nacho Monreal in London.

Manchester City are also alleged to have their eye on Casillas, especially considering the shaky season English keeper Joe Hart has been having. City boss Manuel Pellegrini is also interested in Barcelona’s Victor Valdes.

Goalkeeper Diego López has started every La Liga match over Casillas, who has been limited to appearances in the Copa del Ray and Champions League.

Casillas was first benched during the 2012-13 season by then-manager José Mourinho in a move that alienated the Portuguese from many of the Madrid faithful.

He has struggled to replace Lopez since, though Lopez has made a strong case for himself with fine performances.

The club captain shot down the prospect of a January transfer and has stated he is determined to work for his starting spot.

“I am fighting to be first choice,” he told Madrid’s website in November. “You can’t give up, you have to keeping fighting, make more sacrifices to get to play in every match. It is the coach’s decision and what I have to do is train and fight for that position, the same as my teammates do.”

The man referred to by fans as “San Iker” also said in November that he wants to retire at the club where he has been since signing for the youth team in 1990.

He has made more appearances than any keeper in Madrid’s history, and his personal trophy cabinet is loaded with five La Liga titles, two Champions League winners’ medals and a Copa del Ray medal.

Casillas reportedly reached an agreement with Ancelotti last week to start more games in order to prepare him for the upcoming World Cup. Spanish daily ABC reported that Ancelotti will offer the keeper more time as a courteous gesture to ensure he is in shape to be selected in Brazil in 2014.

The keeper, who is the most capped player in Spain’s history, captained his side to victory in the 2010 World Cup and both the 2008 and 2012 European Championships.

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World Soccer magazine has named Cristiano Ronaldo as the best player in the world after a vote by journalists across the globe.

The award by the respected football magazine is seen as a prelude ahead of the Ballon d’Or in January. The other two players shortlisted for the prestigious prize, Lionel Messi and Franck RIbery, came second and third respectively in the World Soccer awards.

The World Soccer award saw Ronaldo gain a total of 1075 points, ahead of Barcelona and Argentina star Messi on 926. Ribery got a total of 870. The award recognises an outstanding 2013 for the Portugal star in which he has scored 68 goals so far.

Some of his personal highlights include netting a hat trick for his country in the World Cup play off against Sweden to book Portugal a place in Brazil next summer. He also netted three goals against Real Sociedad in November, his 23rd treble for Los Blancos in just four years at the club. He already has 26 goals for Real Madrid in La Liga and the Champions League this campaign.

Other players to feature in the top ten of the World Soccer list are Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Arjen Robben and Neymar. Philip Lahm finished 7th, Manchester United start Robin Van Persie was 8th, and one-time Real Madrid target Robert Lewandowski 9th. Madrid’s Gareth Bale was 10th on the list, following his outstanding season for Spurs ahead of his summer switch to the Santiago Bernabeu.

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According to Eugenio Lopez – agent of Angel Di Maria – there are several clubs currently watching the Real Madrid winger, with the view to a possible transfer in January.

Lopez has indicated there has been a breakdown in the relationship between his player and Florentino Perez, president of Los Blancos, and claimed there are clubs ready to take the the player if he becomes available.

In the past few weeks there have been rumours surrounding Di Maria’s possible unhappiness in the Spanish capital, but Carlo Ancelotti has insisted that the Argentinian is still firmly in the picture and will not be leaving the Santiago Bernabéu anytime soon.

Speaking to radio programme La Red the Italian manager said “Many clubs want him but Angel has a contract until 2018. This is really a presidential matter, I don’t want to talk about it.”

Claudio Ranieri, current manager of French team AS Monaco, has admitted his interest in the winger before and was rumoured to have made an attempt to sign him in the summer transfer window.

Di Maria has made 19 appearances for the club this season, scoring four goals and assisting seven. He joined the club in 2010 from Portuguese club Benfica.

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