Nekounam: Osasuna determined to beat Real Madrid

“For Osasuna’s fans the match against Real Madrid is more important than Barcelona. I am not 100 percent sure, but I think we can defeat Real Madrid despite their high-profile stars including Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Karim Benzema,” he added.

Nekounam scored Osasuna’s solitary goal against Real Madrid last January in their 3-1 defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu.

“I would rather beat Real Madrid than score against them. We are well-prepared to get three points,” the 29-year-old midfielder added.

Nekounam called on the Iranian media to be calm about the national team’s poor results. “We have to give time to Ghotbi. Each coach needs time to carry out his plans. Some Asian countries, such as Japan and South Korea, give a chance to their coaches to carry out their programs,” Nekounam concluded.