Mbappe Magic! French Star Strikes to Power Real Madrid Past Osasuna in Thrilling La Liga Debut
Who better than Kylian Mbappé to deliver the decisive three points for Real Madrid in their inaugural La Liga fixture under Xabi Alonso's guidance?
Three months following their departure from Carlo Ancelotti, Los Blancos made their return to the Santiago Bernabéu with Alonso leading from the sidelines. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Álvaro Carreras and Dean Huijsen accompanied the new manager as a refreshed Real Madrid squad launched their 2025–26 season before a packed stadium of white-clad supporters.
Real Madrid controlled the ball from the first whistle, keeping Osasuna trapped deep in their defensive third. Vinícius Júnior and Mbappé alternated in their attempts to create an opening for the home side, but the final touch eluded both attacking stars. The squad notably missed Jude Bellingham's presence, whose inventiveness frequently ignites Los Blancos' offensive play.
Alonso's squad headed to the dressing room with the score tied at 0–0, but they emerged for the second period with fresh determination. Six minutes into the restart, Mbappé engineered the match's first goal. The French striker earned his team a spot kick and then coolly slotted it home to give Real Madrid a 1–0 advantage.
The Spanish powerhouse continued pressing for a second goal to seal the victory, but couldn't find the target again. Nevertheless, the win never appeared threatened, even as Alonso introduced several substitutes in the closing stages, including Franco Mastantuono.
The contest concluded with some late excitement, as Abel Bretones received his marching orders in the 94th minute after striking Gonzalo García with his elbow while halting a breakaway, forcing Osasuna to finish the final moments with ten players.
While perhaps not the commanding performance Madridistas hoped to witness, it was a controlled result nonetheless. Los Blancos' next challenge comes against newly-promoted Real Oviedo.
Review Real Madrid's individual player assessments from the fixture below.
Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Osasuna (4-3-3)
*Ratings provided by FotMob*
Position / Player | Ratings (Out of 10) |
|---|---|
GK: Thibaut Courtois | 7.6 |
RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold | 6.9 |
CB: Éder Militão | 7.4 |
CB: Dean Huijsen | 8.1 |
LB: Álvaro Carreras | 7.5 |
CM: Fede Valverde | 7.1 |
CM: Aurélien Tchouaméni | 7 |
CM: Arda Güler | 7.7 |
RW: Brahim Díaz | 6.8 |
ST: Kylian Mbappé | 9 |
LW: Vinícius Júnior | 7.5 |
SUB: Dani Carvajal (68' for Alexander-Arnold) | 6.3 |
SUB: Franco Mastantuono (68' for Díaz) | 6.9 |
SUB: Gonzalo García (78' for Vinícius Júnior) | 6.4 |
SUB: Dani Ceballos (90' for Güler) | N/A |
Subs not used: Andriy Lunin (GK), Sergio Mestre (GK), David Alaba, Fran García, Raúl Asencio, Thiago Pitarch, Rodrygo