Welcome to the latest edition of Inside Real Madrid, our weekly series to follow throughout La Liga’s 2025-26 season.

Each week, we will bring you key information and analysis on the biggest talking points, cutting through the noisy world of all things Madridista with reporting you can trust.

The information contained in this article reflects multiple conversations with various sources at Madrid, all of whom spoke anonymously to protect relationships.

What’s the biggest talking point at Real Madrid right now?

Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Osasuna — in which Vinicius Junior was once again subjected to abusive chants.

La Liga said after the game in Pamplona that it has opened an investigation into footage appearing to show some Osasuna fans chanting “Vinicius, muerete” (“Vinicius, die”). Osasuna have been contacted for comment by The Athletic.

Sources close to Vinicius Jr said they were saddened, but not surprised.

It was the first game the Brazilian winger had played since the alleged racist abuse in Madrid’s Champions League knockout phase play-off first leg at Benfica last Tuesday — which UEFA is investigating.

According to La Liga, there have been 26 incidents of racist abuse directed towards Vinicius Jr, at 10 different football grounds in Spain, since October 2021.

How big a setback is Saturday’s result?

Vinicius Jr was once again Madrid’s most decisive player. He scored the team’s only goal in the 73rd minute to level the scores at 1-1, but Alvaro Arbeloa’s side slipped to a surprise defeat after Raul Garcia’s 90th-minute winner.

Madrid’s previous loss in La Liga was back on December 7 under Xabi Alonso, at home against Celta Vigo. Over nine consecutive wins in the competition since, they had managed to turn a four-point deficit on Barcelona into a two-point lead of their own at the top of the table.

However, they now trail Barca by a point, with 13 games of the season remaining, after their Clasico rivals’ 3-0 home win over Levante on Sunday. It was Madrid’s third defeat in 10 matches since Arbeloa replaced Alonso on January 12, and it came just as it seemed the team were finally on the up.

The team emerged from last week’s Champions League tie at Benfica with a 1-0 win after a resolute and confident performance. As they left Osasuna’s El Sadar Stadium, Madrid’s coaching staff complained about the performance of referee Alejandro Quintero Gonzalez, questioning his decisions in the build-up to both of Osasuna’s goals.

For Ante Budimir’s 38th-minute opener from the penalty spot, Quintero Gonzalez initially showed the Croatia striker a yellow card for diving. After a VAR review, he overturned his decision, judging Thibaut Courtois had fouled him.

There was more anger about Garcia’s winner. That goal was initially ruled offside, with VAR also intervening to correct things — after Madrid had already restarted play.

But in his post-match comments, Arbeloa’s frustrations were focused on his players. He said they “had to move the ball faster” and struggled to “match the intensity” of their opponents.

“It’s true that we’re not able to string together matches (playing well),” he added. “We need to have attacking width on both flanks. We focus a lot on the left wing, which is normal, but that makes us easy to defend against.”

What did we learn from Arbeloa’s line-up?

There was something of a surprise in the decision to rest centre-back Antonio Rudiger and right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, with David Alaba and Dani Carvajal starting in their places.

Carvajal, 34, and Alaba, 33, both suffered anterior cruciate ligament injuries in 2024 and had not started a Madrid game together since December 2023. Osasuna sources were not expecting to see both their names on the teamsheet.

Alaba played the whole game while Alexander-Arnold replaced Carvajal in the 64th minute. The former Liverpool player put in another positive display but Madrid were again not at their best. The feeling from sources close to the dressing room is that some players were more focused on Wednesday’s Champions League second leg against Benfica.

Madrid now trail Barcelona by a point at the top of La Liga (Ander Gillenea/AFP via Getty Images)

Other voices close to the dressing room were frustrated by Arbeloa’s reluctance to substitute the team’s “untouchable” players, in an apparent reference to attacking stars such as Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe, neither of whom were the most committed when it came to defending from the front.

Arbeloa told his pre-match press conference that Mbappe was not 100 per cent fit due to a problem with his left knee. The 27-year-old was not at his best in front of goal for once and failed to score from a good opportunity in the second half.

“He felt ready to play,” Arbeloa said of the Frenchman in his post-match press conference. “When we believe someone isn’t fit, we’re not going to take risks.”

It was also noteworthy that Franco Mastantuono was again an unused substitute — for a third match in a row. Mastantuono, 18, was sidelined in November and December as he was suffering from pubalgia. He started five of the first six matches under Arbeloa but has since lost his place in the starting XI.

Sources familiar with his training plan say it has been specialised to try and build muscle — and that he has already gained between four and five kilos. He is said to be training very well, without discomfort.

What about Madrid’s other injuries?

Dean Huijsen is awaiting tests on Monday on a right calf problem he suffered last week, with the 20-year-old Spain centre-back hoping to play against Benfica.

Two young defenders who were training with the first team last week have also suffered injuries. Joan Martinez, 18, will be out for more than a month with a back muscle problem while 19-year-old Victor Valdepenas will be out for at least three weeks with a knee sprain.

Midfielder Dani Ceballos joined them on the treatment table this weekend, leaving El Sadar visibly in pain and saying he had taken a knock to his right leg. Club sources feared he could be out for almost two months, but sources close to the player are confident he will only be sidelined for four weeks.

Rodrygo, meanwhile, has begun partial training with the group, returning after being sidelined with tendonitis in his right calf. Sources within the club and the player’s camp are confident the 25-year-old Brazil forward will be available for the next La Liga match against Getafe on Monday, March 2.