Kylian Mbappe hit the penalty spot when Real Madrid beat a showered Osasuna 1-0 on Tuesday to make a winning start in the La Liga 2025-26 season under the new coach Xabi Alonso.
The striker of France, last season’s European Golden Shoe winner, scored early in the second half after he was polluted in the area by Osasuna defender Juan Cruz.
It was enough to seal the points in the first match of Alonso in the Santiago Bernabeu, with Madrid now unbeaten in the opening match of a competition campaign since 2008.
Trent Alexander-Arnold made his La Liga debut after his move from Liverpool, with the former Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen and left back Alvaro Carreras, the other summer arrivals are included in the starting line-up.
Madrid was without English midfielder Jude Bellingham, who is expected to be sidelined until October when he recovers from an operation to resolve a recurring shoulder issue.
It happened: RMA vs Osa emphasizes
Madrid wants to turn the page to a disappointing end of the Carlo Ancelotti era after delivering to both domestic and European crowns after last season.
The side of Alonso had to show patience against an Osasuna team that ended in the last term, whereby the host was largely limited to long-distance efforts of Center-Backs Huijsen and Eer Militao in the first half.
Osasuna goalkeeper Sergio Herrera was the same as both, while Mbappe was unable to make a neat connection after he was chosen by Vinicius Junior before he curled a shot wide when Madrid struggled to break down his opponent.
But Mbappe took the only goal six minutes after the break after he went after a clumsy challenge from Cruz when he tried to cut the defender.
Mbappe, who was La Liga’s top scorer with 31 goals in his first season in Spain, came to work for the new campaign when he sent Herrera on the wrong direction.
Alonso handed the 18-year-old Argentinian winger Franco Mastantuono his debut halfway through the second half when Madrid checked the game and rarely looked worried.
Ante Budimir turned into a rare opportunity for Osasuna, and Mastantuono was denied late by Herrera.
Osasuna ended the game with 10 men, sent with Abel Bretones in a stop time to throw an arm to block the Gonzalo Garcia run.
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