Mixed reception as Mourinho bows out

Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho was booed by the majority of a sparse home crowd as he ended his three-year spell in charge with a 4-2 win over Osasuna.

Mourinho’s name was met with a chorus of whistles when it was read out before the game, but he did receive support from a small group of the club’s ultra fanbase who chanted his name throughout the match.

On the field it looked as he would be given a good send off as first-half goals from Gonzalo Higuain and Michael Essien gave Madrid a comfortable 2-0 lead.

However, Osasuna struck back with two goals in 11 minutes just after the restart through Roberto Torres and Alvaro Cejudo to level matters.

But Mourinho was able to sign off with a win as further goals from Karim Benzema and Jose Maria Callejon ensured Real ended the season unbeaten at home in the league.

Main attraction

With the Portuguese’s appearance on the touchline for the final time the main attraction, the game even had to be stopped after barely a minute as the photographers and cameramen surrounding the technical area spilled over onto the pitch.

And the match had barely restarted when Osasuna nearly went in front as Torres skewed his volley wide from David Timor’s cross.

Emiliano Armenteros then spurned a one-on-one against Madrid stand-in keeper Jesus Fernandez as he placed his shot too close to the keeper and Osasuna were made to pay for their profligacy in front of goal when Higuain opened the scoring on 35 minutes.

The Argentine, who was captain for the day in what is expected to also be his last game in a Real shirt, raced onto Luka Modric’s through ball and calmly slotted home for his 16th league goal of the campaign.

Three minutes later it was 2-0 as Essien headed home from Mesut Ozil’s corner and made a point of going to celebrate just his second Madrid goal with Mourinho on the bench.

Osasuna were handed a lifeline seven minutes into the second-half when Torres fired into a wonderful right-footed shot low into Jesus’ far corner.

And remarkably the Navarrans were level just after the hour mark as a cross from the left was flicked on by Manuel Omwu and headed back across Jesus into the net by Cejudo.

It took just six minutes for Madrid to re-take the lead though as Ozil fed Benzema and his driven effort found the far corner of the net despite Asier Riesgo getting a hand to it.

Modric should then have added a fourth at the end of another wonderful solo run but with effort just didn’t have enough bend to sneak inside the far post.

And attention turned towards the crowd again in the final stages as the ultras behind the goal continued to chant Mourinho’s name and, much to the discontent of the majority inside the ground, even held up a banner thanking the 50-year-old during his time in charge before Callejon sealed the points with a low drive that slipped through the legs of substitute keeper Roberto.