Osasuna fear might of Madrid

Madrid in transition
The joint Primera División leaders visit the Santiago Bernabéu six points clear of third-placed Madrid, who have played just one league game under caretaker coach Juan Ramón López Caro. Yet Aguirre insists Osasuna cannot expect an easy ride against misfiring opposition.

'Tough to win'
"We always suffer at the Bernabéu - Osasuna have only won there twice in our history. It's tough to win there, and if you are not on top of your game, you get smashed by four goals. We have to continue playing the way we have all season, and try to continue our winning run," said the Mexican.

Much-needed stability
Madrid have endured a turbulent season that has seen their coach, Vanderlei Luxemburgo, sacked and their captain, Raúl González, struck down by a long-term knee injury. Yet they remain in touch with the leaders, and hope López Caro can bring much-needed stability. Star players Roberto Carlos and David Beckham have backed the little-known coach, who may prove an unlikely saviour for the Merengues.

Room to spare
Aguirre is rather better known in Spain, having taken the reins at Pamplona-based Osasuna in 2002/03 and successfully kept them in the top flight. Despite the team's lofty pole position alongside FC Barcelona, he maintains this season's objective remains the same – survival. With 22 points already separating them from the bottom three, Osasuna should achieve this goal with plenty to spare.

UEFA Cup exit
Although his ambitions remain modest, Aguirre came close to collecting silverware last term when Osasuna reached the Copa del Rey final, losing 2-1 to Real Betis Balompié. Their reward was a UEFA Cup berth, after Betis reached the UEFA Champions League by finishing fourth in the table, but their European adventure was ended by a first-round loss against Stade Rennais FC.

Winning run
That defeat proved a blessing in disguise. While sides like Betis, Sevilla FC and RCD Espanyol have struggled to sustain their domestic form alongside continental exploits, Osasuna have had no distractions, winning eight of ten league matches since the Rennes reverse.

Barcelona record
Their only setback in that time came at the hands of Barcelona, with whom they share the summit. The Catalans look close to unstoppable both at home and in the UEFA Champions League, and three points at Cádiz CF on Saturday would set a club record of 12 straight victories.