Real Madrid suffered a shock 2–1 defeat to Osasuna in the match at the El Sadar Stadium, in a match that saw a lackluster performance from the Royals and a last-minute goal, opening the door for their rivals to close the gap at the top of La Liga.
Osasuna strikes first... Real fail to control the tempo
The game started with a high tempo from the hosts, and Osasuna was able to open the scoring through Ante Budimir from the penalty spot after a mistake in the Real defence in the 38th minute, before Real Madrid came back in the second half with a goal from Vinicius Junior in the 73rd minute.
But Osasuna snatched the win in the 90th minute through Raul Garcia after a successful follow-up inside the box, in a goal that sparked a refereeing controversy before it was confirmed by video technology.
Spanish press: "An unjustified fall... and absence of personality"
The Spanish press described the loss as a "painful blow at a critical time", noting that Real Madrid appeared without clear offensive solutions and that the team "lacked character at the decisive moments".
Kumar focused on defensive mistakes, saying that the team "paid the price for being lax", and that the fatal goal was the result of a clear mispositioning in the backline, noting that Osasuna "tactically excelled" and that Real Madrid looked overwhelmed after their recent European matches.
Some analysis also suggested that Real Madrid "didn't go into the game mentally" and that Osasuna took advantage of that cleverly.
Arbeloa: "We weren't up to our level... We have to correct mistakes."
At the press conference, coach Alvaro Arbeloa admitted that his team "did not play a good game", stressing that defensive mistakes were costly and that the team is "capable of coming back quickly if it regains its focus".
With this loss, Real Madrid are in danger of losing the lead if Barcelona win their next game, while Osasuna secured their first win over Real in Pamplona in more than 15 years.