Osasuna Vs Real Madrid — Raúl García’s late winner reshapes the title race and presses Madrid on quick turnaround

Osasuna Vs Real Madrid delivered immediate consequences for the top of La Liga and Real Madrid’s short-term planning. Raúl García’s added-time strike handed Osasuna a 2-1 win over the league leaders, leaving Barcelona able to retake top spot if they beat Levante tomorrow at 15: 15 GMT. The result also forces questions about Madrid’s preparation and rotation ahead of another important Wednesday match.

Osasuna Vs Real Madrid — what this result forces now

Here’s the part that matters: the defeat hands momentum to Osasuna and hands Barcelona a clear chance to move above Real Madrid with victory over Levante (15: 15 GMT tomorrow). Osasuna remain unbeaten in their last six La Liga matches (W4 D2), their best run of six-or-more without defeat since August 2024 (P6 W2 D4). For Real Madrid, the loss increases pressure to improve intensity, speed and variety of attack before a midweek Champions League fixture.

How the match unfolded (key events, not a minute-by-minute)

Osasuna took the lead from an Ante Budimir penalty 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 the spot-kick. Real Madrid levelled when Federico Valverde surged down the left and crossed low for Vinícius Júnior, who slid home from close range in the 73rd minute. The decisive moment came in added time when, after substitute Dani Ceballos lost possession, Raúl Moro released Raúl García; García beat Raúl Asencio and fired into the top corner to seal the win. A VAR check had initially disallowed a García effort for offside, but a subsequent review awarded the strike.

Managerial reaction and squad concerns

Álvaro Arbeloa said the team have room to improve and highlighted specific choices. He explained Federico Valverde was substituted in the 75th minute because the player had been feeling minor discomfort after consecutive matches and the staff preferred not to risk injury. On the penalty sequence, Arbeloa noted he thought there might even have been a foul earlier in the action and pointed to two very tight offside calls that went against them. He judged the team lacked punch, speed and intensity against a low block and stressed there are many games left to correct course; Madrid have another important match on Wednesday.

Match atmosphere, individual moments and disciplinary notes

Estadio El Sadar was described as bouncing as home fans celebrated a dramatic late winner. Raúl García’s goal sent the crowd wild after tight play inside the box; at one point a flag went up for offside before VAR intervention. Vinicius Júnior received a yellow card for dissent during the game. Trent Alexander-Arnold had a free-kick that went well off target and was booked for a foul on Víctor Muñoz on the edge of the box; Alejandro Catena also had a header that went wide. Raul Garcia has now scored three goals after coming off the bench in La Liga this season.

Wider European context and weekend results

Elsewhere in European football, Harry Kane scored twice as Bayern Munich beat Eintracht Frankfurt 3-2, briefly moving nine points clear of Borussia Dortmund before Dortmund’s late equaliser cut the lead to eight. Bayern’s win featured an Aleksandar Pavlovic volley in the 16th minute and Kane’s header to make it 2-0 four minutes later; Kane added a 68th-minute strike for his 28th league goal. Frankfurt responded with a 75th-minute penalty by Jonathan Burkardt after a foul, and Arnaud Kalimuendo scored in the 86th minute, but Bayern held on for their 19th win in 23 league games. Atlético Madrid returned to winning ways with a 4-2 victory over Espanyol, Alexander Sørloth striking twice; Atlético sit fourth and trail Real Madrid by 12 points. Inter moved 10 points clear at the Serie A summit with a 2-0 win at Lecce, Henrikh Mkhitaryan scoring the second-half goal.

• Immediate implications: Barcelona can go top with a win over Levante tomorrow at 15: 15 GMT; Real Madrid must sharpen up before Wednesday.
• Who feels this first: Madrid’s front line and rotation choices will be under scrutiny by coaches and medical staff.
• Signals that would confirm a trend: Madrid failing to respond in the next match or Barcelona winning tomorrow would make the points swing more consequential.
• Osasuna’s form is significant: unbeaten in six (W4 D2) and their first such stretch since August 2024 (P6 W2 D4).

What’s easy to miss is the cluster of small details that together decided the game: a video review that produced a penalty, tight offside decisions, a late turnover and a substitute making the decisive run. The real test will be how Madrid respond in their next fixture and whether Barcelona seize the opportunity to reclaim top spot.