Real Madrid upset at Osasuna, loss ends hot streak and opens LaLiga door to rivals Barcelona

Pamplona—Real Madrid’s nine-match LaLiga unbeaten run came to a dramatic halt at El Sadar on Saturday as Osasuna struck in the 92nd minute to seal a 2-1 victory that instantly rewrites the title narrative. Vinicius Junior’s third consecutive game with a goal had briefly restored hope, but the late collapse means Barcelona can leapfrog Los Blancos by one point with a win over Levante on Sunday and turn the May 10 Clásico into a potential title decider.

Manager Álvaro Arbeloa’s side still control their own fate, yet the manner of this defeat will sting. Madrid surrendered 13 shots and a penalty en route to 2.05 expected goals against an Osasuna outfit that had managed only 30 league goals all season. Rotated or not, the defensive generosity was uncharacteristic and arrives at the worst possible moment: a Champions League second leg against Benfica looms Wednesday on Paramount+, and the margins at the top of the table are now razor-thin.

Vinicius’s sustained hot streak offers a silver lining—his pace and directness have added another layer to Madrid’s attack—but the focus will quickly shift to recovery. Off-field turbulence, including allegations that the Brazilian was racially abused by Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni in the first leg, adds emotional weight to an already congested calendar. Arbeloa must galvanize a squad that, until Saturday, had not dropped a league point since late February.

The loss had to arrive sometime during a blistering run; Madrid will hope the timing proves a reset rather than a fatal stumble. With the Champions League return leg days away and Barcelona poised to pounce, the response starts now.