Barcelona gets a chance to reach the top after 15 years, thanks to Real’s slip

The La Liga rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona continues to provide drama and unpredictability. Last night, the tension escalated further as Real Madrid suffered a surprising 2–1 defeat at the hands of Osasuna, marking their first loss at El Sadar in fifteen years. The last time Osasuna defeated Los Blancos was in 2011.

Barcelona had experienced a setback themselves last week, losing 2–1 away at Girona. That defeat had allowed Real to temporarily seize the top spot in the league by a two-point margin. A victory against Osasuna could have extended Real’s lead to five points, but the unexpected loss has reopened the title race, giving Hansi Flick’s side a golden opportunity to reclaim first place when they host Levante at the Camp Nou tonight. A win for Barcelona would put them one point ahead of Real Madrid.

Currently, the La Liga standings among the title contenders are as follows:

The match at El Sadar saw Real Madrid, who had won eight consecutive league matches prior, enter as favourites. Álvaro Arbeloa’s side dominated possession throughout much of the game, yet were unable to convert control into goals.

Osasuna struck first in the 38th minute when Ante Budimir converted a penalty, sending the visitors behind before half-time. Real drew level in the 73rd minute through Vinicius Júnior, but Osasuna had the final word: Raúl García scored a dramatic 90th-minute winner to seal an unforgettable victory.

After the match, a disappointed Arbeloa reflected on his team’s performance: “We did not play well enough. We need to perform much better. There were periods where we controlled the game, but our tempo was lacking. Wednesday brings another final-like match against Benfica in the Champions League play-off return leg, which is extremely important for us.”

Indeed, Real Madrid will face Benfica at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium on Wednesday night. Los Blancos won the first leg 1–0 away, but the El Sadar defeat has added pressure ahead of the decisive return leg.

With only a few matches remaining in the season, the title race now hinges almost entirely on the outcomes of the Real Madrid vs Barcelona clash, making tonight’s Camp Nou encounter potentially decisive in deciding La Liga’s 2026 champion.