Zidane surpasses Mourinho in most La Liga wins as Real Madrid coach

Real Madrid’s 4-1 win over Osasuna on Sunday saw Zinedine Zidane further cement his legendary place in the club’s history. The victory was his 88th in La Liga taking him above Jose Mourinho into third all-time for the most wins in the Spanish top flight as Madrid boss. 

Only Miguel Munoz, who managed the club for 14 years between 1960 and 1974, and Vicente del Bosque have won more league games as manager at the Santiago Bernabeu. Things didn’t initially seem to be going to plan for Madrid at the Estadio El Sadar, as Unai Garcia put Osasuna into an unexpected early lead.

Goals from Isco and Sergio Ramos turned the game on its head before the interval, with late strikes from Lucas Vazquez and Luka Jovic making the game safe. Ramos was making his 440th Madrid appearance in the league, moving into fifth place in the club’s all-time league appearance list surpassing Fernando Hierro. The result sent Madrid six points clear at the top of La Liga, with second-placed Barcelona facing Real Betis on Sunday evening.

Jovic’s goal, a thumping finish on the half-volley, will have come as a relief to both Zidane and the Serbian forward. It was just his second strike since joining Madrid from Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer, and Zidane will be expecting him to kick on from it. “I’d like him to score, but he’ll get there if he keeps working,” he said recently. “He’s young, he’s just arrived and the good thing is that he’s in a team where there are a lot of big players and he has to adapt. “The delicate moment will be good for him – when he finally scores, everything will change.”