Osasuna 2 - Real Madrid 3

Osasuna: Nuno; Yanguas (Palacios 75'), Aitor Ocio, Cruchaga, Mateo, Iban Pérez; Oscar Arpón, Alex (Alfonso 46'), Lekumberri; Sabino, Armentano (Sanzol 34'). 5-3-2.
Real Madrid: Casillas; Geremi (Savio 46'), Iván Campo, Hierro, Roberto Carlos; Iván Helguera, Makelele; Figo, Guti (Morientes 08'), McManaman (Michel Salgado 70'); Raúl. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Osasuna: Armentano for Moha / Madrid: Geremi, Iván Campo, Figo, Helguera for Salgado, Karanka, Savio, Morientes.

Goals:
1-0. 19. Arpón. Picked up long pass from left, rounded Roberto Carlos and scored.
1-1. 38. Raúl. Controlled ball on front of area and struck shot high into net.
1-2. 57. Morientes. Took Hierro through ball and shot across keeper.
2-2. 66. Sabino. Shot in goalmouth scramble, helped on by Iván Campo.
2-3. 92. Helguera. Hard low shot from outside area after defence failed to clear.

A last minute goal by Iván Helguera gave Real Madrid three points against an Osasuna side who never deserved to lose. The match had attracted much attention beforehand, with threats from radical supporters that they would cause trouble, but in the end the massive police presence dissuaded anyone from trying anything, with many leaving the ground even before the kick off complaining of heavy-handedness by the forces of order. It had been seven years since Madrid last visited the Sadar stadium, and in those days there were many incidents, with the firecracker that deafened Madrid keeper Paco Buyo for a few days an example. However all that was put behind them, and the two teams were able to play football as they should.

Real Madrid arrived in Pamplona only a few hours after completing an exhausting international schedule, having first played Leeds in the Champions League before flying directly out to Tokyo for the Toyota cup last Tuesday. Del Bosque was expected to rest several players after losing that game, but in fact he stuck to almost the same side, only changing central defender Karanka for Iván Campo. Bottom club Osasuna were desperate for points, and their manager Miguel Angel Lotina stuck to his guns, keeping the same formation and only changing his centre forward, Armentano for Moha. They started well, and took the lead through Arpón early on, the midfielder catching Roberto Carlos having fourty winks at the back. Then fate struck them a cruel blow when Nuno brought down Raúl on the edge of the area, referee López Nieto probably right to award a penalty, but not to show the keeper a red card as the striker had already lost control of the ball. But their patron saint San Fermín was probably away sunning himself in the Bahamas, and Osasuna were down to ten men. Lotina sacrificed Armentano to bring on reserve keeper Sanzol, and he guessed right to stop Hierro's spot kick, the third that Real Madrid have missed this season.

It was though just a matter of time, and Raúl put another tick on his visiting card, scoring his 107th all time goal in the first division, Osasuna being the 31st first division club he has scored against in his career. Morientes, who had come on for the injured Guti in the eighth minute, made the most of his opportunity to put his team into the lead in the second half, but Osasuna are fighters, and they managed to scramble one back a few minutes later, Sabino being credited with the goal by the referee even though it was Iván Campo who got the last touch into his own net. Casillas kept out Sabino and Palacios, and Morientes hit the crossbar after a pinpoint pass from Figo, but just when it looked as if they would settle for a draw, Helguera found the gap in the Osasuna thin red line to steal away the points. His team are now third and catch up a couple of points on second placed Valencia, who drew. Osasuna are still looking for that elusive first win, and lose a bit more ground on the teams above them. They do not deserve to be at the bottom on this showing, but there are no bad teams in the first division any more, and with luck also failing them, they will have their work cut out to climb out the relegation zone this year.