TSN is your home for La Liga with this weekend’s action featuring leaders Real Madrid visiting Pamplona to take on Osasuna and Tajon Buchanan, Tani Oluwaseyi and the rest of Villarreal hosting Valencia in La Derbi de la Comunitat.
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Osasuna vs. Real Madrid, Saturday at Noon ET/9 a.m. PT on TSN+
Following Barcelona’s slip-up to Girona last week, Real Madrid enters the weekend atop the table, but it’s hardly a celebratory mood at the Bernabeu. The cloud of the alleged racist incident between Vini Jr. and Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestianni during the Champions League midweek still hangs over the club as it prepares for a visit to Osasuna on Saturday.
Vini scored the only goal in Tuesday’s 1-0 win in Lisbon in the first leg of their Champions League playoff tie. After the goal, Vini alleges that Prestianni covered his mouth with his shirt in order to racially abuse him. The Brazil forward informed the referee, who initiated the the anti-racism protocol and paused the match for 10 minutes. Real was prepared to walk off the pitch as a result of the incident. The match eventually resumed with Real taking the 1-0 lead into next week’s second leg.
Prestianni denied the allegations after the match, but Vini’s teammates stood by his account.
“Vinicius scores the goal and goes to dance,” Kylian Mbappé said after the match. “The crowd boos him, which is something that happens. Then there is a moment of tension with the Benfica players, which can also happen because this is the Champions League and it’s normal, as people want to win for their fans. After that, Benfica’s number 25, I don’t want to say his name, he doesn’t deserve it, started speaking badly to him. It’s unacceptable, but it has happened and will happen. But then he lifted his shirt to say that Vini is a ‘monkey’ five times, I heard it. There are Benfica players who heard it, too. And after this point, everything that was seen started.”
Real and France midfielder Edouardo Camavinga said a 10-minute break doesn’t go far enough to address the problem.
“It’s not about stopping for 10 minutes, but stopping the entire match,” Camavinga said. “If you only stop for 10 minutes, it doesn’t affect anyone. The tolerance is zero. If something like this happens, the whole match should be stopped, and people will be calmer. With these things, it becomes harder to talk about football.”
On Friday, Real released a statement indicating it had released all available evidence to UEFA to continue to investigate the incident. Should Prestianni be found to have uttered what is alleged, he would face a 10-game ban.
“Our club has actively collaborated with the investigation opened by UEFA following the unacceptable episodes of racism experienced during that match,” the statement read. “Real Madrid appreciates the unanimous support, backing, and affection that our player Vinicius Jr. has received from all areas of the global football community. Real Madrid will continue working, in collaboration with all institutions, to eradicate racism, violence, and hate in sports and society.”
With that backdrop, Los Blancos head to Pamplona to take on a 10th-place Osasuna side that is unbeaten in five matches. Alessio Lisci’s team played to a scoreless draw with Elche last time out.
Lisci says there’s virtually no room for error against Alvaro Arbeloa’s side.
“They’re on a huge winning streak in the league,” the 40-year-old Italian, who is in his first season at the helf of the club, said on Friday. “People say they’re struggling, but they win every weekend and are now league leaders. We love that. When you’re at a certain level, what you love most is playing against the best, and they’re one of the best teams in the world. That’s what excites us, so we’re very eager to play tomorrow’s match.”
Real won the reverse fixture back in August, 1-0, on an Mbappé penalty.
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Villarreal vs. Valencia, Sunday at 2:45 p.m. ET/11:45 a.m. PT on TSN+
Villarreal finally made up their game in hand against the other clubs towards the top of the table on Wednesday with a 1-0 win at Levante on a goal from Georges Mikaudatze. The victory put the Yellow Submarine on 48 points, alone in third place, three points clear of Atletico in fourth and seven ahead of fifth-place Real Betis. With a Champions League spot firmly in their control, Marcelino’s side now turns its focus to a visit from regional rivals, Valencia, in the latest edition of La Derbi de la Comunitat.
Champions in 2002 and 2004, Valencia’s time as fixtures in the European places has come to an end with the team getting uncomfortably close to relegation over the past few seasons, including a 16th-place finish in 2023. This season finds once again in a battle to avoid the drop. After 24 games, Los Ches sit 15th in the table on 26 points, only two points clear of Mallorca in the drop zone. With 14 matches left on the slate, every single point still available is an important one for Carlos Corberan’s squad.
Marcelino says he expects to feel that kind of desperation from the visitors on Sunday, who are also coming off of a win over Levante, 2-0, last weekend.
“Against Valencia, I always expect a difficult match,” the Villarreal gaffer said. “We’re in the final third of the season and everyone is fighting for their objectives. Valencia are a good team with quality players. It’s true they have been inconsistent away from home, but they will arrive boosted by their latest result.”
Emotions will run high on Sunday, as they always do when these two teams meet, with the match marking a second-straight derby for both teams as Levante is also Valencia-based.
“Every match has its own story,” Marcelino said. “The Levante game was very complicated. [Valencia is] a different team to Levante. We’re playing at our stadium, but it will be an even game. Valencia have urgency and quality players, and they will put us under maximum pressure. We have to reach our best level. We are a competitive team and at our stadium we are efficient.”
The Yellow Submarine were 2-0 winners in the reverse fixture last October.
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More La Liga action on TSN
– Real Sociedad vs. Oviedo, Saturday at 7:45 a.m. ET/4:45 a.m. PT on TSN+
– Betis vs. Rayo Vallecano, Saturday at 10 a.m. ET/7 a.m. PT on TSN+
– Atletico vs. Espanyol, Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET/11:30 a.m. PT on TSN+
– Getafe vs. Sevilla, Sunday at 7:45 a.m. ET/4:45 a.m. PT on TSN+
– Barcelona vs. Levante, Sunday at 9:45 a.m. ET/6:45 a.m. PT on TSN5/TSN+
– Celta vs. Mallorca, Sunday at 12:15 p.m. ET/9:15 a.m. PT on TSN+
– Mallorca vs. Real Betis, Sunday at 2:45 p.m. ET/11:45 a.m. PT on TSN+
– Girona vs. Barcelona, Monday at 2:30 p.m. ET/11:30 a.m. PT on TSN5/TSN+
