Osasuna Vs Real Madrid: Vinicius scores but leaders stunned by Raúl García winner
Osasuna Vs Real Madrid ended in a dramatic 2-1 victory for the home side after Raúl García struck in the 90th minute, a result that hands momentum to Osasuna and hands Barcelona the opportunity to retake first place with a win over Levante. The defeat leaves Real Madrid searching for answers ahead of a midweek Champions League return leg.
El Sadar: Budimir penalty, Valverde assist and a late García winner
Real Madrid fell behind when Ante Budimir converted from the penalty spot after a video assistant review showed goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois had stood on Budimir’s foot; the referee overturned an initial booking for simulation and Budimir calmly converted. Madrid levelled in the 73rd minute when Federico Valverde surged down the left and crossed low for Vinícius Júnior to slide home from close range. The match was decided in the 90th minute: substitute Dani Ceballos lost possession, Raúl Moro released Raúl García, who beat Raúl Asencio and fired into the top corner to seal Osasuna’s winner.
Raúl García, VAR and Osasuna’s late-game edge
Raúl García’s 90th-minute strike was the decider after an earlier moment in the game saw a García effort initially ruled out for offside before a review gave the goal in other reporting; across the match he continued a strong impact from the bench, having now scored three goals this La Liga season after coming off the substitutes’ bench. Osasuna are unbeaten in their last six La Liga matches (W4 D2) — their first stretch of six or more without defeat in the competition since August 2024 (P6 W2 D4) — and Estadio El Sadar provided a raucous backdrop as the home fans celebrated in added time.
Álvaro Arbeloa on Valverde substitution and squad issues
Coach Álvaro Arbeloa, speaking after the match at El Sadar, said: "A team shows its strengths when difficulties arise. What cannot arise are doubts. " He explained the substitution of Valverde in the 75th minute by saying Valverde had been making a lot of effort in many consecutive matches and was feeling minor discomfort; the decision to remove him was taken to avoid risking a possible injury. Arbeloa added that the team lacked "punch, teeth and speed up front" and conceded Madrid had a "big margin to improve" ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League second leg against Benfica.
Discipline and key moments: bookings, set pieces and missed chances
The match featured several disciplinary and chance-related incidents. Vinícius Junior received a yellow card for dissent. Trent Alexander-Arnold was booked after a foul on Víctor Muñoz on the edge of the box; he later curled a free-kick well off target. Alejandro Catena had a header that was way off target. Arbeloa reflected that Madrid had periods of control but lacked the speed to break down a low block, noting the team focused much of its play on the left flank and needed to develop threat on the other side.
Title implications: Barcelona, Levante and the Camp Nou day
Real Madrid go into the international weekend vulnerable in the title race: Barcelona trail Madrid by two points and can overtake the leaders if they beat Levante at Camp Nou tomorrow at 15: 15 GMT. The timing matters because a Barcelona victory would immediately flip the standings and increase pressure on Madrid as they prepare for Champions League duty midweek.
Broader European context: Bayern, Atlético, Inter and Ligue 1 notes
Osasuna’s shock sat alongside several notable European domestic results. Bayern Munich beat Eintracht Frankfurt 3-2: Aleksandar Pavlović volleyed in from the edge of the box in the 16th minute and Harry Kane made it 2-0 four minutes later with a header; Kane struck again in the 68th minute for his 28th league goal of the season. Frankfurt pulled one back when Jonathan Burkardt converted a 75th-minute penalty after Kane fouled Oscar Højlund, and Arnaud Kalimuendo scored in the 86th minute, but Bayern held on for their 19th win in 23 league games, moving eight points clear at the top of the Bundesliga. Borussia Dortmund were held to a 2-2 draw by RB Leipzig after trailing 2-0 at half-time to a Christoph Baumgartner double; Dortmund forced an own goal from Rômulo and Fábio Silva scored in the fifth minute of stoppage time to salvage a point and reduce Bayern’s advantage to eight points.
Atlético Madrid returned to winning ways with a 4-2 victory over Espanyol — Alexander Sørloth struck twice — giving Atlético their first win in four league matches; they sit fourth and trail Real Madrid by 12 points, but opened up a six-point lead on Real Betis after Betis drew 1-1 with Rayo Vallecano. In Serie A, Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s second-half goal helped Inter move 10 points clear at the summit with a 2-0 win at Lecce. In France, PSG returned to the top of Ligue 1.
Arbeloa insisted the season is long and that there is "a long way to go, " stressing the need to improve intensity and consistency as Real Madrid prepare for another important match on Wednesday.
