Vuelta al batacazo — Osasuna - Real Madrid: a defeat that hands Barcelona fresh momentum in LaLiga

What changes because of the Osasuna - Real Madrid result is immediate: Madrid’s lead looks fragile and Barcelona gets a concrete opening to press. Madrid left Pamplona after a poor performance capped by a Raúl García de Haro last-minute golazo; Vinícius was left isolated and Mbappé failed to contribute effectively, an outcome that shifts the title race balance more than a single scoreline.

How the result reshapes the title race and short-term momentum

Madrid’s defeat in Pamplona turns a one-day advantage into a vulnerable position, giving Barcelona the practical chance to close the gap. The game read like a swing match: from Lisbon Madrid had emerged with clearance, but from Pamplona the squad left "under observation" after a leaden performance. The margin for error has narrowed; rotation choices and individual lapses now have amplified consequences for the title run-in.

Osasuna - Real Madrid: decisive moments embedded in the pattern of the fixture

The match followed the familiar Osasuna–Madrid script — visitors with more possession, hosts committing to counterattacks — and ended with two defining actions. After a disputed penalty, Vinícius Júnior converted an important goal by finishing a strong cross from Federico Valverde. Osasuna, however, never stopped pushing: Ante Budimir threatened earlier and later Raúl García de Haro produced a stoppage-time golazo in the 90th minute that was validated by VAR by millimetres, securing the three points for the home side.

Tactical setup, rotations and fitness signals

Arbeloa made notable defensive rotations — changing three of the four defenders who had protected the team in Lisbon — forced in part by an injured Huijsen and a deliberate rest for Trent and Rüdiger because of prior risk considerations this season. The coach avoided further substitutions because, in his view, the bench offered no stronger solutions. The midfield was organized more with steel than creativity: Eduardo Camavinga moved very close to the left to cover Vinícius’s defensive gaps and Arda Güler operated as a strict midfield anchor. The plan left nine players configured to orbit around two stars; those two became one when Kylian Mbappé went effectively dark, probably hampered by knee problems noted in the match narrative, which left Vinícius without the usual attacking partnerships.

Match rhythm details: the first seismic minute came at 17, when two curled efforts — one by Vinícius and one by Budimir — marked the only early sparks. Budimir later produced a contact that forced Thibaut Courtois into a palm-save; one of Budimir’s headers hit the post. Madrid briefly had a productive spell with a shot from Mbappé and two attempts from David Alaba (the second assisted by Dani Carvajal), but an ensuing indecision between Raúl Asencio and Thibaut Courtois ended with an outcome that is unclear in the provided context.

• Osasuna’s breakthrough came from a match-long belief shared across the side and was split between their two nominal strikers: Ante Budimir early, and Raúl García de Haro at the end.
• Osasuna’s home form was a clear factor: the club had not lost at El Sadar since November and fielded what was described as its best eleven.

Lineups, fault lines and immediate calendar for Osasuna

Starting lineups named for the match:

• Osasuna: Sergio Herrera; Valentin Rosier; Alejandro Catena; Jorge Herrando; Javi Galán; Lucas Torró; Jon Moncayola; Aimar Oroz; Rubén García; Víctor Muñoz; Ante Budimir.
• Real Madrid: Thibaut Courtois; Dani Carvajal; Raúl Asencio; David Alaba; Álvaro Carreras; Aurélien Tchouaméni; Federico Valverde; Eduardo Camavinga; Arda Güler; Kylian Mbappé; Vinícius Júnior.

Osasuna’s near-term schedule (as stated): they visit Valencia on Sunday 1 March; receive Mallorca on Friday 6 March; face Real Sociedad on Sunday 15 March; receive Girona on Sunday 22 March. On Wednesday 25 March they host Benfica in the Champions playoff return — at which point they will know whether they play in the round of 16. In LaLiga they also receive Getafe on Monday 2 March. Schedule subject to change; dates given as listed in the match coverage.

Here’s the part that matters for observers and rivals: individual errors and rotation decisions were specifically highlighted as decisive. One recurring criticism singled out Dani Carvajal — Valverde was forced to cover his flank because Carvajal "couldn't with" the opponent — and the same sequence notes that a late clearing decision and a poor movement left him exposed in the actions that led to the goals.

• Real Madrid’s lack of cutting edge and Mbappé’s loss of rhythm were emphasised as problems; Mbappé had few combinations with Vinícius and was described as out of form.
• After a disputed penalty, Vinícius scored an important goal by finishing Valverde’s cross.
• Raúl García’s 90th-minute golazo was validated by VAR by millimetres and decided the match.

What’s easy to miss is the repetition: each Osasuna–Madrid match tends to replicate a pattern of visiting possession and local counter fury — this meeting followed that script and ended in the same kind of upset that has punctuated their recent history. The real question now is whether Madrid will change course quickly enough to protect a lead that already felt thin before this loss.

• Deception: Madrid dropped a match it was expected to win; Osasuna exploited individual errors and narrow-but-accurate VAR rulings to take three points.
• Costly rotation: Arbeloa’s enforced changes — including a replacement for injured Huijsen and managed rests for Trent and Rüdiger — were judged to have backfired in the short term.
• Momentum shift: Barcelona receives a practical boost in the title race as Madrid’s margin looks less secure after Pamplona.

The bigger signal here is that small margins — a disputed penalty, a last-gasp golazo validated by VAR, a rotation choice — are now dictating who controls the LaLiga narrative. Recent coverage framed the match as one of Osasuna’s standout games of the season; for Madrid, it was a heavy night that will be examined for selection and fitness lessons going forward.