Lisci buzzing for El Sadar atmosphere as Osasuna prepare for Real Madrid showdown
Osasuna boss Alessio Lisci is relishing Saturday's clash with league leaders Real Madrid, calling it 'a final' and warning his side against complacency.
Osasuna manager Alessio Lisci has been talking up Saturday’s home fixture against Real Madrid with genuine excitement — and honestly, who can blame him? El Sadar under the lights against Los Blancos is one of La Liga’s proper occasions.
The gaffer is well up for it
Lisci, speaking at his pre-match press conference, made no secret of the fact he’s been told what to expect from the Pamplona faithful when Real Madrid come to town. He’s already a massive fan of the home atmosphere on a normal matchday, so the prospect of it being cranked up a notch has got him properly giddy.
He described the game as “a final” — not in a clichéd way, but with a clear message to his players: don’t get complacent just because you’re sitting in a comfortable mid-table spot. The motivation, he reckons, pretty much takes care of itself when you walk out at El Sadar with that crowd behind you. His job, he said, is actually to calm the players down rather than fire them up.
Five unbeaten, but no room for drift
Osasuna arrive into this one in decent nick:
- Five league games without a defeat
- Playing well in terms of creating chances
- Though Lisci acknowledged they’ve also been a bit more open defensively of late
- He was honest that the draw at Elche last time out probably flattered them a touch
He’s keen to stress this isn’t just a lucky run — the team are doing things properly and he wants that mentality maintained against the toughest possible opposition.
Team news: one absentee
The only confirmed miss is defender Enzo Boyomo, who hasn’t recovered from his injury in time. There were a few fitness concerns during the week — Víctor Muñoz, Rubén García and Iñigo Arguibide all had some load management issues in training — but Lisci confirmed everything is under control and all three are in the squad.
Respecting Madrid, not fearing them
Lisci was pretty measured in his assessment of Real Madrid. He noted that despite people saying they’ve been going through a rough patch, they’ve somehow ended up top of the table — which tells you everything about the quality in that dressing room. He said his players actually enjoy facing the best sides, which is a healthy attitude.
Tactically, his main worry is transitions — Madrid’s ability to flip from defence to attack in the blink of an eye. He wants Osasuna to stay compact, stay alert, and be “close to perfection” in how they manage the game’s different phases.
Interestingly, he flagged that his side have been on the wrong end of a lot of penalties this season and have specifically analysed the ones awarded against Madrid — partly to avoid making the same mistakes in the box.
The bigger picture
When asked about the off-field noise surrounding Real Madrid following recent events in the Champions League, Lisci kept it simple: Osasuna’s job is to focus on their own performance and keep their heads cool, as they’ve done all season.
This feels like a game where El Sadar could genuinely be the difference. If the crowd is as electric as Lisci’s been told it will be, and Osasuna can stay disciplined without the adrenaline getting the better of them, there’s no reason they can’t nick something here.