Vinicius Jr’s Hat-Trick Lifts Real Madrid To 4-0 Win Over Osasuna Amidst Eder Militao’s Injury Woes.
Vinicius Jr shone with a superb hat-trick as Real Madrid thrashed Osasuna 4-0. However, the win was overshadowed by a serious knee injury to Brazilian centre-back Eder Militao, who suffered a complete tear of his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), with both menisci in his right leg also affected.
Militao’s injury occurred after half an hour, as he collapsed in visible agony after jarring his knee during a corner. The 25-year-old was stretchered off the pitch, replaced by 21-year-old Raul Asencio, who made his debut for Real Madrid. A club statement confirmed the ACL tear and announced Militao will undergo surgery in the coming days.
Manager Carlo Ancelotti, addressing Real Madrid’s growing injury list, commented: “Three injuries in the first half is quite rare. The demands of the schedule do not allow players to rest and be fresh. The risk of injuries is higher.”
Despite their injury troubles, Real Madrid returned to winning form after two successive defeats, with Vinicius leading the charge. The Brazilian opened the scoring with a skilful cut inside from the left wing, beating Osasuna goalkeeper Sergio Herrera with a precise finish into the far corner. Newcomer Jude Bellingham doubled the lead, slotting in his first goal of the season by dinking the ball over Herrera after a superb long pass from Asencio.
Vinicius struck again on the hour mark, benefiting from an exceptional long ball by Real goalkeeper Andriy Lunin. The forward rounded Herrera and tapped in with ease. His third goal came courtesy of substitute Brahim Diaz, who intercepted a loose ball from Enzo Boyomo and set up Vinicius to complete his hat-trick.
However, Real Madrid’s injury concerns continued to deepen. Rodrygo limped off in the 20th minute, and Lucas Vazquez had to leave the field shortly after the break. Real are already without right-back Dani Carvajal, who suffered an ACL injury last month, and centre-back David Alaba, still sidelined with a knee problem.
The victory sees Real Madrid close the gap to six points behind league leaders Barcelona. However, the gap could widen again if Barcelona secures a win against Real Sociedad on Sunday evening.
