Real Madrid kicked off their 2025–26 season with a 1–0 victory over Osasuna thanks to a penalty from Kylian Mbappé.
Just 41 days after they crashed out of the FIFA Club World Cup, Los Blancos returned to La Liga action at the Santiago Bernabéu. Like so many times last season, Mbappé delivered when the team needed him most, bagging Real Madrid’s only goal of the match from the spot after he drew a foul in the penalty area.
The goal was enough to secure all three points for the hosts, even without the introduction of Rodrygo, who spent the entire night on the bench. Beyond the Brazilian’s continued absence, more prominent storylines took center stage over the course of 90 minutes at the Spanish capital.
Here’s three takeaways from Real Madrid’s La Liga opener.
If Real Madrid’s performance against Osasuna is any indication of what’s to come week in and week out, it is safe to say Alonso broke the team’s old habits under Carlo Ancelotti. The Spanish giants spent so much of last season content to let their opponents have prolonged spells of possession while they sat back in their own half.
Against Osasuna, though, Los Blancos did the exact opposite. They dominated the game from the opening whistle, stringing together pass after pass while their opponents chased after the ball. Osasuna could not even come close to the halfway line for most of the game and mustered just 29% possession on the night.
Arda Güler’s introduction to Real Madrid’s XI massively helped the team execute such a possession-based play style, especially without Toni Kroos or Luka Modrić commanding the midfield. The 20-year-old completed the most passes (72) of any midfielder on the pitch and misplaced just six in 90 minutes.
Even when the hosts lost the ball, they played with an aggressive desire to retain possession. Vinícius Júnior earned a wave of applause from the packed Santiago Bernabéu for his urgency in winning back the ball, as well as his contribution to the press.
By the time the final whistle blew, Real Madrid had completed 660 passes, which was nearly three-times the amount Osasuna ended the match with.
Real Madrid were crying out for Jude Bellingham’s creativity. The England international is typically the key to breaking down a low block, either with a well-timed through ball or a darting run in behind an unsuspecting defense.
Without Bellingham on the pitch, Real Madrid relied too heavily on Vinícius Júnior to create the team’s chances. If the Brazilian was not beating his defender and picking out Mbappé, there was virtually no threat of the hosts getting off a dangerous shot.
The reliance on Vinícius Júnior made Real Madrid’s attack one-dimensional and easy to silence. There was no orchestrator serving as the crucial link between the midfield and the attack. Instead, Alonso’s star-studded frontline was either creating their own chances or standing idlily while their teammates maintained possession.
Los Blancos have grown so accustomed to Bellingham pulling the strings of the attack that they struggled produce clear goalscoring opportunities outside of ambitious shots from distance or set pieces.
The door is open for Franco Mastantuono to fill the missing hole in Alonso’s XI while Bellingham recovers from shoulder surgery.
Trent Alexander-Arnold was the acquisition of the summer for Real Madrid, yet the former Liverpool star had a night to forget. In his 68 minutes on the pitch, the Englishman did very little to contribute to his side’s victory.
The 26-year-old only played one accurate cross of his seven attempts, attempted zero tackles and lost all of his duels. Alexander-Arnold also failed to find his target with the four long balls he smashed forward.
Despite his lackluster production at both ends of the pitch, it must be said that Alexander-Arnold’s struggles were not all entirely of his own making. Real Madrid spent so much time developing their attack down the left flank that the fullback was often on an island, waiting for anyone to look his way with the ball.
Alexander-Arnold was forced to drift more centrally at times to even get himself involved in the game. Had Real Madrid better spread the ball, they would have noticed the England international in acres of space on the right and potentially exploited Osasuna’s disciplined defense with greater effectiveness.
It will be up to Alonso to get Alexander-Arnold more involved in the team’s attack moving forward to help this Real Madrid side reach its full potential.
