Mbappé’s Penalty Hands Real Madrid Winning Start in La Liga
Real Madrid began the new La Liga season with a hard-fought 1–0 victory over Osasuna at the Santiago Bernabéu, courtesy of a decisive penalty from Kylian Mbappé.
The match, which marked Xabi Alonso’s first league game in charge of Madrid, was a cagey affair with limited chances. Los Blancos dominated possession but found it difficult to break down Osasuna’s disciplined and compact defense.
The breakthrough came early in the second half when Mbappé was brought down inside the box by Juan Cruz. The French forward dusted himself off and calmly converted from the spot in the 50th minute, sending the Bernabéu into celebration.
Osasuna, managed by Alessio Lisci, responded with determination and created a few half-chances but were unable to truly test Thibaut Courtois in the Madrid goal. Alonso’s side managed the closing stages well, keeping control of the ball and seeing out the game to secure all three points.
“It wasn’t our most fluid performance, but starting the season with a win is the most important thing,” Alonso noted after the match.
The result puts Madrid among the early pacesetters in La Liga as they now turn their focus to a tricky away fixture against Real Oviedo next weekend. Osasuna, meanwhile, will look to bounce back when they host Valencia in Pamplona.
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