Osasuna - Real Madrid: Vuelta al batacazo que reconfigura la pelea por LaLiga

The shock result in Pamplona reshuffles who feels pressure first: Real Madrid’s lead is fragile and Barcelona gains a clear opening after Osasuna beat them in a tight, tactical match. Osasuna’s late golazo by Raúl García de Haro — validated by VAR by millimetres — handed home fans a landmark win, while questions about rotation, a faltering Mbappé and a visibly isolated Vinícius are front and center in the fallout from Osasuna - Real Madrid.

Immediate impact: who is pitched into pressure by Osasuna - Real Madrid

Here’s the part that matters: Madrid left Lisbon apparently fit but landed in Pamplona 'under observation' after what coverage calls a leaden match. That shift matters because the loss hands momentum to rivals and forces a reassessment of selection, carrying direct consequences for the coach and the players who underperformed or were rotated.

How the decisive moments unfolded (embedded, not a play-by-play)

The decisive late moment came from Raúl García de Haro, whose 90th-minute golazo was checked and validated by VAR by millimetres. Earlier, after a disputed penalty moment in the match, Vinícius Júnior finished an important goal by converting a strong centre from Federico Valverde. Osasuna’s own gamble — pressing and countering at the right times — produced reward: Ante Budimir was influential early, and Budimir’s involvement included a header that struck the post and an instance when Courtois had to punch a dangerous ball clear. The match rhythm followed a familiar Osasuna–Madrid pattern: the visitors kept more possession while Osasuna relied on counter-attacks and intensity in midfield.

Tactical choices, personnel and key on-field notes

Arbeloa changed three of the four defenders who had performed well in Lisbon, forced to replace an injured Huijsen and apparently choosing to rest Trent and Rüdiger because of their risk histories this season. From that point, the coach made no further substitutions because, the narrative says, there was nothing clearly better on the bench. The midfield showed organisation but lacked a clear creative organizer; Eduardo Camavinga pushed wide to the left to cover defensive gaps around Vinícius, while Arda Güler was deployed in a strict midfield role. The balance left the attack built around two stars that effectively became one on the night: Mbappé, described as far from full fitness and possibly hampered by knee trouble, faded and left Vinícius more isolated. Mbappé’s single notable contribution was a shot in a brief bright spell that also featured two attempts from David Alaba, the second set up by Dani Carvajal.

What’s easy to miss is how those defensive rotations and the midfield’s steel-over-creative tilt combined to limit Madrid’s ability to free their wide threat. The result amplified individual errors: a player is described as having 'slept' on the action that led to the penalty for the first goal — clearing late — and later being on the ground during Raúl García’s decisive action with a poor movement; those lapses are cited as costly.

Osasuna’s setup, milestones and the immediate calendar pressure

Osasuna turned up arguably with one of their matches of the year: no home defeat since November and the club fielded what is described as its best eleven for the battle. The team split its attacking rewards between its two nominal nines: Ante Budimir early and Raúl García de Haro at the end. Notably, this was the first time in fifteen years that El Sadar beat Real Madrid, a fact that adds weight to the home celebration.

The immediate fixture notes for Osasuna listed in the coverage are: a visit to Valencia on Sunday 1 March; a home match against Mallorca on Friday 6 March; a match versus Real Sociedad on Sunday 15 March; a home game with Girona on Sunday 22 March; and a Champions playoff second leg at home versus Benfica on Wednesday 25, after which the club will know if it advances to the round of 16. In domestic competition, Osasuna is also scheduled to receive Getafe on Monday 2 March. (Schedule subject to change; unclear in the provided context whether any kick-off times are set. )

• Osasuna took three points by risking at key moments and manufacturing their own luck.
• Vinícius produced an important goal from Valverde’s cross, but isolation and individual mistakes cost Madrid.
• Mbappé was noted as out of form and possibly hampered by knee problems, reducing his combinations with Vinícius.
• Arbeloa’s defensive rotation — replacing Huijsen for injury and resting Trent and Rüdiger — is presented as a costly decision.
• Raúl García’s 90' golazo was validated by VAR by millimetres; Budimir contributed early and struck the post in an important moment.

Aftermath tone and stakes for the coach and squad

Deception and cost are the two words used to describe Madrid’s evening: a defeat framed as one they 'had to win' and a rotation that 'came expensive' and moves the coach further from the title, at least in the narrative. The canterano del Real Madrid is described as having been a constant headache for Arbeloa’s team, and Federico Valverde is singled out for defensive work covering Dani Carvajal’s lane when necessary. The real question now is how selection and fitness will be addressed before the next fixtures, especially with El Sadar’s result handing rivals an opening.

It’s unclear in the provided context how the match sequence ended after an indecision between Raúl Asencio and Thibaut Courtois: the sentence in the original account is incomplete and the final consequence is therefore unclear in the provided context.

The bigger signal here is that a single match has been framed as capable of changing momentum quickly; whether this is a turning point or a one-off will become clearer as these next fixtures play out.