Hard-Fought Victory Marks Real Madrid’s New Season

After a trophy-less season, Real Madrid has begun a fresh campaign under new coach Xabi Alonso and several new signings. Their La Liga opener was not poor, but despite a dominant performance, Los Blancos secured a 1–0 win against Osasuna through Kylian Mbappé’s solitary penalty goal.

The match took place on Tuesday night at Santiago Bernabéu, Real Madrid’s fortress. The hosts dominated possession with 71% of the ball and registered 18 shots, five of which were on target. Osasuna, in contrast, had only two shots, none on target.

The deadlock was broken in the 51st minute when Mbappé, donning Real Madrid’s iconic No. 10 jersey, converted a penalty after Juan Cruz fouled him inside the box. Although Osasuna protested the referee’s decision, the VAR confirmed the call, allowing Mbappé, last season’s top scorer, to open his account for the campaign.

Coach Alonso also handed debuts to midfielder Franco Mastantuono and defender Ángel Carreras, both of whom made a notable impact. In particular, the 18-year-old Argentine midfielder showed glimpses of significant potential in his first match.

From the outset, Real Madrid pressed Osasuna hard, who had lined up to play a tight defensive game. Despite several strong attempts, goalkeeper Sergio Herrera denied shots from Denzel Huijsen and Éder Militão, keeping Osasuna in the game until the penalty.

Key Match Events

In injury time, Abel Britnes of Osasuna received a red card, reducing the visitors to 10 men. Real Madrid held their 1–0 advantage to the final whistle, claiming a hard-earned victory to kick off the season.