Real Madrid Held to Goalless Draw by Osasuna at Santiago Bernabéu

Real Madrid’s La Liga title defense started slowly. They drew 0-0 with CA Osasuna on Tuesday night at the Santiago Bernabéu. Los Blancos had most of the ball and made better chances. But they couldn’t score against a strong Osasuna defense.

In a close first half, Real Madrid had 65 percent of the ball. However, they only managed three shots on target. The best chances came from Vinícius Júnior at 37 minutes and Kylian Mbappé at 45+2 minutes. Both shots were easily saved by Osasuna’s goalkeeper, Sergio Herrera. Osasuna set up in a solid 4-4-2 formation. They defended well and had just one shot on target before halftime.

In the second half, both teams made changes. Trent Alexander-Arnold, a new midfielder, and forward Álvaro Carreras replaced Federico Valverde and Brahim Díaz in the 63rd minute. Osasuna brought in Ante Budimir and Aimar Oroz for a boost in attack at the 70th minute. But neither team could find the winning goal.

Key moments on the evening included:

• 37′ – Vinícius Júnior fires narrowly over from the edge of the box following a clever flick from Mbappé.
• 45+2′ – Kylian Mbappé forces a low save from Sergio Herrera, who dives to his left to keep the score level at half-time.
• 63′ – Xabi Alonso brings in Trent Alexander-Arnold for Aurelien Tchouaméni. This move boosts midfield control.
• 70′ – Alessio Lisci, the head coach of Osasuna, subs in Ante Budimir. He aims for Budimir to boost the team’s physical presence up front.

Real Madrid had 72 percent of the ball, but Osasuna’s organized defense kept them in check. As a result, Osasuna took home a valuable point. The point leaves Los Blancos in second place, two points behind Barcelona. Barcelona opened their season with a 3-1 win over Valencia.

Real Madrid is set to play Real Oviedo on Sunday. On Saturday, Osasuna will meet newly promoted Cádiz at home.