Real Madrid Shrink in Pamplona as Osasuna End a Long Unbeaten Run
Real Madrid put in one of their worst offensive displays in recent memory as Osasuna ended their long unbeaten record at El Sadar. Here's what went wrong.
A toothless Real Madrid were well below their best in Pamplona, and Osasuna made them pay for it — ending a lengthy unbeaten run for Los Blancos at El Sadar.
A Rare Off Day at El Sadar
It had been a long old while since Madrid had lost at this ground, but as any football fan knows, records are there to be broken. And on this occasion, Madrid did very little to suggest they deserved anything from the game.
This was, by most accounts, one of their worst attacking performances of the season. Proper grim stuff. They barely sniffed the Osasuna goal in the first half — and that’s not an exaggeration.
Where Was the Cutting Edge?
The absence of Kylian Mbappé’s influence was felt all over the pitch. Without him firing on all cylinders, Madrid looked blunt, predictable, and short of ideas going forward. A side that can usually conjure something out of nothing looked completely devoid of creativity.
Key issues on the night:
- No real threat in the first half — Madrid barely registered in an attacking sense before the break
- Mbappé off the boil — when your main man isn’t at it, the whole attack suffers
- Lack of invention — no one stepped up to fill the creative void
Alaba’s Return, But Questions Remain
One of the few notable subplots was the return of David Alaba to the starting XI. The Austrian defender, who has been out for an absolute age with a serious knee injury, was back in the fold — and fair play to him for that. He didn’t have a nightmare or anything, but his presence alone couldn’t paper over the cracks in what was a collective underperformance.
His return is obviously a boost for the squad in the longer term, but this wasn’t the kind of game that’ll live long in the memory for positive reasons.
The Bigger Picture
Madrid have enough quality to bounce back — no one’s writing them off. But performances like this are a reminder that even the biggest clubs in the world have nights when nothing clicks. Pamplona has now handed them a reality check, and Carlo Ancelotti will have plenty to think about on the journey back to the capital.
For Osasuna, it’s a result to savour. Ending Madrid’s unbeaten run at your ground is no small thing — the Navarrese side will be buzzing.
Los Blancos need a response, and sharpish.