Real Madrid missed the opportunity to strengthen their grip at the top of LaLiga after being held to a 1-1 draw by Osasuna on Saturday. Playing with 10 men for over 50 minutes following Jude Bellingham’s red card, Los Blancos were unable to maintain their advantage.
Madrid started brightly, with Vinicius Junior coming close to scoring early on, heading wide from close range. Their breakthrough came in the 15th minute when Kylian Mbappé capitalized on a Federico Valverde counter-attack to fire home from close range.
However, their momentum took a hit just before halftime when Bellingham received his marching orders after an extended dispute with the referee, leaving Madrid to battle a man down.
Osasuna took full advantage after the break, with Jon Moncayola testing Thibaut Courtois with a brilliant strike 10 minutes into the second half. Shortly after, they found their equalizer when Eduardo Camavinga conceded a penalty, which Ante Budimir confidently converted.
Despite Madrid’s efforts to push for a winner, they struggled to create clear-cut chances and were ultimately forced to settle for a draw. The result extends their winless run in LaLiga to three games, though they remain top of the table with 51 points, two ahead of Atlético Madrid, who play later on Saturday.
Data Insights: Madrid’s Struggles Continue
After an impressive 3-2 victory over Manchester City in the Champions League midweek, Madrid failed to carry that momentum into the league. This marks the first time since November 2020 that they have gone three consecutive LaLiga matches without a win in a single campaign.
Defensive lapses have been costly, with Camavinga’s foul resulting in the ninth penalty Madrid have conceded this season—their highest tally in a single campaign since 2018-19 (11). Camavinga himself has been responsible for three of those.
On a positive note, Mbappé continued his fine form, scoring the opening goal of a LaLiga match for the sixth time this season—second only to Robert Lewandowski, who has done so on eight occasions.
For Osasuna, Budimir’s goal was a historic moment, as it marked his 57th strike for the club in LaLiga, equaling Sabino Andonegui’s record as Osasuna’s all-time top scorer.
SOURCE: BBC
Join our WhatsApp channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakDz4u9RZATWh53yC1a
