Winners and Losers

Winners

Real Madrid were completely lifeless before one moment from Federico Valverde and Vinicius Jr gave the team hope. The Uruguayan, who was stuck covering Dani Carvajal for the first hour of the match, was freed once Trent Alexander-Arnold came onto the pitch.

Valverde received the ball at nearly the halfway line before he drove forward, bypassing three defenders trying to close him down and playing a clinical cross to Vinicius Jr, who made no mistakes from a few yards out. The goal would not be enough to salvage a result, but it saved Los Blancos from complete embarrassment.

Losers

Thibaut Courtois so often plays hero for Real Madrid that it is almost shocking when he commits a blunder. Poor defending from Raúl Asencio left the goalkeeper trying to close down a streaking Ante Budimir, who went down rather easily and theatrically inside the box. A VAR review indeed showed Courtois make contact with the striker, though, allowing Osasuna to take the lead from the spot.

Dani Carvajal finally got the start he was waiting for, and his performance did nothing but send him back to the bench. The right back, who is supposed to be the more defensively sound option between himself and Trent Alexander-Arnold, was a complete liability. The 34-year-old lacked pace and situational awareness, floundering his way through 64 minutes before Arbeloa came to his senses.

Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Osasuna (4-4-2)

*Ratings Provided by FotMob*

GK: Thibaut Courtois—4.9: Made two brilliant saves to keep his team in the game in the first half, but then gave up a penalty to erase his great work. Conceded both shots he faced on target.

RB: Dani Carvajal—6.8: Poor in what was a big opportunity. Showed little interest in closing down the ball in times of high pressure and was caught out on multiple occasions. Had a whimpering presence going forward.

CB: Raúl Asencio—6.7: Partially at fault for the Courtois penalty blunder. Failed to get back in time and lacked communication with his goalkeeper that led to a preventable error. Was also awful on Osasuna’s winner.

CB: David Alaba—6.8: Sharp in what was an unexpected start. Had two of the best chances in the first half and did his job defensively.

LB: Álvaro Carreras—7.5: Completely shut down Rubén García, but lacked a spark in his build-up play.

RM: Federico Valverde—7.4: Pitched in well on the right flank to help out Carvajal and covered extensive ground. Deserves all the credit for setting up Vinicius Jr’s goal with an electrifying run.

CM: Arda Güler—6.4: Not involved at all. Another example of just how much he struggles in a deeper role when things are not going Real Madrid’s way.

CM: Aurélien Tchouaméni—7.5: Showed up defensively, but failed to anchor the midfield with the intensity he typically commands. Will wish he did better with a golden opportunity to score at the end of the first half.

LM: Eduardo Camavinga—7.2: Struggling for consistency. No one can deny his exceptional tackling, but there needs to be more progressive passing from the Frenchman.

ST: Kylian Mbappé—6.7: One of his worst outings of the season. Managed just one shot on target, failed to make threatening runs in behind and in no way imposed his will on the game.

ST: Vinicius Junior—7.7: Frustrated by Osasuna’s physical defending for most of the match, but all it took was one moment for the Brazilian to strike. The most dangerous attacker in white yet again.

SUB: Brahim Díaz (64’ for Camavinga)—6.5: Lively but lacked clear opportunities to leave his mark.

SUB: Trent Alexander-Arnold (64’ for Carvajal)—5.9: Drifted from the right flank to the midfield with an effortless poise. Gave the team some much-needed width.

SUB: Gonzalo García (75’ for Valverde)—6.3: Only took four touches. A nonfactor.

SUB: Dani Ceballos (83’ for Güler)—N/A: Coughed up possession in stoppage time, leading to Osasuna’s winner.

Subs not used: Andriy Lunin (GK), Sergio Mestre (GK), Antonio Rüdiger, Ferland Mendy, Fran García, Thiago Pitarch, Franco Mastantuono.

What the Ratings Tell Us

• Without Trent Alexander-Arnold starting on the right flank, Real Madrid’s attack once again was completely filtered down the left-hand side of the pitch. It was predictable, easy to defend and lacked creativity.
• Dani Carvajal was completely off the pace of the game. The Spaniard was huffing for oxygen in a performance that will put him right back on the bench moving forward. Federico Valverde would have been a better option to round out the backline.
• The Arda Güler experiment reaps too few rewards. If Arbeloa wants to get the most out of his young star, he needs to deploy the Türkiye international in a more advanced role—either as a No. 10 or on the right wing.

The Numbers That Explain Real Madrid’s Pitiful Defeat

• Real Madrid maintained 61% possession and yet only created three big changes. The team looked unimaginative when they had the ball.
• Osasuna committed 19 fouls on the night, completely disrupting the flow of the game for Arbeloa’s men.
• Los Blancos held their opponents to two shots on target, and both found their way into the back of the net to claim all three points.

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