Real Madrid undone at El Sadar as Osasuna win 2-1 after late Raúl García strike
Osasuna beat real madrid 2-1 at El Sadar after an 89th-minute goal from Raúl García de Haro completed a comeback-winning performance. The result matters because it ended a 15-year wait for an Osasuna victory at this venue and exposed vulnerabilities in Madrid's preferred match formula.
Real Madrid: Development details
The match swung on a sequence of decisive moments. Ante Budimir put Osasuna ahead from the penalty that followed a clear foot contact by Thibaut Courtois on Budimir, an incident that shifted the game into a tense, defensive contest. Real Madrid responded when Fede Valverde delivered a tense cross shortly before the 75th minute and Vinicius placed a composed right-foot finish to level the score, leaving the visitors with roughly 15 minutes to mount a comeback. The late winner arrived in the 89th minute, when Raúl García de Haro converted to make the final score 2-1 in favor of Osasuna.
The match saw multiple VAR interventions: one review allowed a goal that had been close to the limit, and the penalty that gave Osasuna the lead drew significant attention during and after the game. Manager comments followed in the mixed zone, with Arbeloa speaking in a post-match press conference about the contentious penalty and Osasuna coach Lisci expressing delight at his side's appetite for more after the victory.
Context and escalation
From the first whistle the fixture felt like a test of edges. Pamplona has a reputation as a difficult ground for Madrid, and in the 2025-26 campaign Osasuna set up with a compact defensive plan and incisive attacking transitions. The match narrative hinged on two established pillars for the visitors: defensive incidents involving Courtois and the attacking form of Kylian Mbappé. When the Courtois incident produced a penalty and Mbappé failed to impose himself, the balance tipped toward Osasuna, who maintained pressure and refused to concede possession easily.
Real Madrid's starting lineup included notable returns in defense: Dani Carvajal and David Alaba were both in the XI, marking their first starts together since December 2, 2023, in the home win over Granada. Osasuna, for its part, leaned on the work-rate and finishing of Budimir, whose overall contribution earned him a standing ovation when he was substituted in the 66th minute.
Immediate impact
The immediate consequence was twofold: Osasuna secured a landmark victory at El Sadar — their first over Madrid there in 15 years — and Real Madrid left with a narrow defeat that highlighted structural problems. The 1-0 lead from Budimir's penalty forced Madrid to chase the match; Vinicius's equalizer restored parity with under 15 minutes remaining but ultimately proved insufficient after Raúl García's 89th-minute strike. The result left visitors with a loss that underlined dependence on specific match-winners and raised questions about moments of defensive discipline.
Disciplinary and officiating debates also intensified. The penalty incident and VAR rulings became focal points in the aftermath, prompting reactions from coaching staff and former players present in the stadium. Fans at Indar Gorri created a charged atmosphere that included targeted jeers toward certain opposition players, while the home crowd celebrated two decisive contributions from Budimir and Raúl García de Haro.
Forward outlook
The decisive events of the match closed out with the 89th-minute goal, bringing an end to Osasuna's long wait for a home win over Real Madrid. What makes this notable is how a single refereeing incident and an inability to extract consistent attacking output exposed deeper fragilities in a team that leans heavily on a few key performers. From a match-management perspective the only immediate window left for Madrid was the roughly 15 minutes after Vinicius's equalizer, a period they could not convert into a lasting advantage; the late goal removed any remaining time to alter the outcome.
With the game concluded, attention now shifts to internal assessments already underway at both clubs: Osasuna savor a morale-boosting win and managerial praise for a disciplined display, while Real Madrid face the task of addressing the faults that surfaced when their customary attacking formula did not click.
