Real Madrid was held to a 1-1 draw against Osasuna in a tense La Liga clash at El Sadar Stadium. The league leaders took the lead through Kylian Mbappé, but the match took a turn when Jude Bellingham was sent off in the first half. Osasuna took advantage of their numerical superiority, equalizing through Ante Budimir’s penalty in the second half.
Madrid, who had already gone two league games without a win, faced another frustrating night. Despite controlling the game early on, Carlo Ancelotti’s side struggled to secure all three points, allowing Atletico Madrid and Barcelona to close in on them in the title race.
Real Madrid started brightly, moving the ball quickly and forcing Osasuna to defend deep. Vinícius Júnior had an early penalty shout when Alejandro Catena tackled him, and the ball appeared to strike the defender’s arm, but the referee waved play on.
Moments later, Vinícius had a golden chance to put Madrid ahead when Mbappé delivered a pinpoint cross, but the Brazilian misjudged his header and sent the ball wide.
The breakthrough finally came when Fede Valverde delivered a low cross to Mbappé, who slotted home with precision. The goal marked Mbappé’s seventh in his last five La Liga appearances, underlining his importance to Madrid’s attack.
Osasuna rarely troubled Madrid in the first half, with their only real chance coming from Aimar Oroz, whose low shot was saved by Thibaut Courtois. However, the game shifted in the 39th minute when Bellingham was shown a red card after a heated exchange with referee José Munuera Montero.
The English midfielder defended himself after the match, insisting he did not insult the referee.
“It’s difficult when a referee isn’t sure, to determine that I’ve said something that I haven’t, and as a result it kind of hinders the team,” Bellingham told reporters.
