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Main » 2013 » June » 2 » La Liga: Real Madrid 4:2 Osasuna

La Liga: Real Madrid 4:2 Osasuna

LA LIGA
Jose Mourinho waved goodbye to Real Madrid with a 4-2 victory over Osasuna in his final game in charge at the Bernabeu on Saturday.
Mourinho became the first manager in La Liga history to coach a team that has scored more than 100 goals in a season three times, following first-half efforts from Gonzalo Higuain and Michael Essien. 
Osasuna managed to pull two goals back through Roberto Torres and Alvaro Cejudo after the break but Karim Benzema and Jose Callejon struck to give the Portuguese coach three points as he bid farewell to the Madrid fans.

Madrid were far from full strength for their final fixture, as Cristiano Ronaldo, Xabi Alonso and Sergio Ramos all missed out due to injury.

Meanwhile, Osasuna defender Damia was suspended for the game but midfielder Nano returned after serving his one-match ban.

Mourinho received a mixed reception as he emerged from the Bernabeu tunnel for the last time and the referee briefly had to stop play as photographers surrounded the departing coach on the touchline. 

Madrid’s fourth-choice goalkeeper Jesus Collado started his first game for the club and made a good diving save to deny Joseba Llorente's header in the 14th minute. 
Osasuna’s Cejudo had two good chances to test Jesus but the midfielder fired wide from 15 yards, before hitting an effort straight at the young goalkeeper. 

The home side opened the scoring 10 minutes before the break, when stand-in captain Higuain beat the offside trap and fired into the bottom corner for his 16th of the season.

And the lead was soon doubled, as Essien rose the highest to head home a 38th-minute corner from Mesut Ozil. 
The on-loan Chelsea midfielder ran straight across to the Madrid bench to celebrate his goal with Mourinho, who is widely expected to return to Stamford Bridge as coach in the near future. 

Osasuna debutant Unai Garcia made a fantastic sliding challenge to deny Higuain a second goal shortly before the break, but Madrid carried their dominance into the second half and Ozil's curling effort was saved.

However, Osasuna managed to pull a goal back through Torres, who thumped an unstoppable 20-yard strike into the top corner after 53 minutes. 

Higuain had a great opportunity to double his tally following a pass from Raul Albiol, but the striker tried an almost identical finish to his first and Asier Riesgo made a save.

The visitors grabbed a deserved equaliser in the 63rd minute after Manu Omwu flicked a cross on for Cejudo and the midfielder guided his header into the corner. 

Parity lasted just six minutes, though, as Madrid regained their lead when Benzema picked up an Ozil pass on the edge of the area and fired past Riesgo.
Luka Modric should have added a fourth with less than 15 minutes remaining but the Croatian curled his shot wide of the post from a tight angle, before Benzema had the ball in the back of net in the 82nd minute but Callejon was flagged for offside.

Osasuna’s Ricardo became the second oldest player in La Liga history when he replaced Riesgo in goal late on, but the 41-year-old was unable to deny Madrid a fourth during his final career appearance when Callejon fired home a low shot in the 87th minute following a swift counter from Higuain and Benzema.
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