Real Madrid Suffer Crucial Setback at Osasuna as Bellingham Receives Red Card

The lead of Real Madrid in LaLiga is under threat following a 1-1 stalemate away at Osasuna, which sees the home side extend their unbeaten streak to five league matches (D4, W1).

In the wake of their remarkable comeback against Manchester City earlier in the week, Carlo Ancelotti opted to rest several key players ahead of the crucial second leg.

With only two points separating the top three teams in LaLiga, it was essential for his side to avoid any mistakes. Madrid kicked off positively, breaking the deadlock in the 15th minute.

After a period of possession, Federico Valverde sprinted down the right wing and delivered a low cross that Kylian Mbappe finished first time, sending the ball crashing into the roof of the net.

Determined not to allow their unbeaten run to come to an end without a fight, Osasuna nearly equalised just before the half-hour mark. Aimar Oroz found space in the box and struck towards goal, but Thibaut Courtois was alert and managed to deflect it around the post.

Real Madrid suffered a setback five minutes before the break when Jude Bellingham was shown a straight red card.

His dismissal wasn’t due to a foul but for an apparent dissent towards the referee, complicating matters for Los Blancos for the rest of the match.

Osasuna started the second half with intent and nearly found an equaliser shortly before the hour mark.

Ante Budimir reacted quickest to a rebound in the box but was brought down during his follow-up attempt by Eduardo Camavinga, a decision that infuriated the Madrid players and coaching staff amid recent controversies surrounding officiating.

Budimir composed himself and successfully converted the penalty, restoring parity for his side.

Now with the score level and a man down, Madrid seemed happy to settle for a point, adopting a more defensive stance and aiming to strike on the counter.

The closing stages saw minimal action in front of goal as both sides shared the spoils. With Ancelotti’s charges failing to secure a win, the pressure now shifts to Atletico Madrid and Barcelona, who can both leapfrog Los Blancos with victories in their upcoming matches.

Osasuna’s performance sees them rise to seventh in the table ahead of the remaining fixtures this weekend.