Osasuna vs Real Madrid La Liga game went ahead as planned despite the snowstorm which has brought a series of social activities in Spain to a halt since Friday, January 8, 2021.
The match was on the verge of being canceled especially when a jet conveying Real Madrid’s squad found it difficult to take off for four hours due to the impact of the snowstorm.
Against all the odds, Real Madrid were able to be airlifted to Pamplona to take on struggling Osasuna in a league match that ought to be a walkover for the Spanish giants due to the poor form of their hosts.
Unfortunately for coach Zinedine Zidane who wanted the Osasuna vs Real Madrid fixture to be postponed due to the snowstorm, the match went ahead and his team could not score a goal throughout the match.
If Real Madrid had managed to win the game, the club would have topped the La Liga table with 39 points, a point ahead of Atletico Madrid that couldn’t play their league game against Athletic Bilbao due to the outbreak of Storm Filomena.
Though the Snowstorm affected most parts of Spain, that of Madrid was so critical that the plane carrying Athletic Bilbao’s squad had to be diverted to the plane’s takeoff point; hence, the match was postponed indefinitely.
Zinedine Zidane wondered why the same treatment was not applied to Osasuna vs Real Madrid game, instead, the game was forced to go on despite the cold and snow flooded stadium.
👊 @SergioRamos
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) January 9, 2021
✨ @hazardeden10
⚡️ @Casemiro
💪 @marcoasensio10
📣 VAMOS EQUIPO!#HalaMadrid | #OsasunaRealMadrid pic.twitter.com/oZMvu8W4KD
It was so bad for Real Madrid that the Video Assistant Referee had to cancel two of Real Madrid’s goals due to an offside offense caused by Karim Benzema during the game.
“We did what we could do on the field but it was not a football match,” Zidane said after the match. “The conditions were very difficult…
“Yes, clearly the match against Osasuna should have been postponed. That is clear.
“The conditions to play football were not met, which in the end is what everyone wants. As much for us as our opponents.
“I’m not going to get into these things. We have done what they have told us, we have played and that’s it.
“We have to think about recovering even if we don’t know if we are going to go to Madrid tomorrow if we are going to return on Monday. And on Wednesday we have another game.”
🎙️💬 This is what Zidane had to say following the match at El Sadar.#HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/ZeBeJlSKrg
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) January 9, 2021
As it stands, Real Madrid would hope that first placed Atletico Madrid drop points in their two outstanding games to remain close to the first spot. The reigning La Liga champions would also hope that FC Barcelona that are currently sitting on the 3rd spot with 34 points, drop points in their subsequent games to reduce the pressure on Madrid.
Real Madrid’s next match is a Supercopa De Espana’s semi-final match against Athletic Club, scheduled for January 14. It is yet to have an exact kick-off time as at the time of publishing this report.
