In the 50th minute, Mbappe earned and scored a penalty after being fouled by Juan Cruz, giving Madrid a 1-0 win and three points
Madrid
Kylian Mbappe scored from the penalty spot to give Real Madrid a winning start in their LaLiga campaign, as they beat Osasuna 1-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Under new coach Xabi Alonso, Madrid dominated the game from the opening minutes, pressing high and creating chances. Early attempts from Carreras and Huijsen tested goalkeeper Sergio Herrera, while Militao’s powerful strike also forced a sharp save. Despite the pressure, Osasuna stayed compact in defence and denied Madrid a first-half breakthrough.
The breakthrough came soon after halftime. In the 50th minute, Mbappe drove into the box, skipped past Juan Cruz, and was fouled. The French striker, last season’s Golden Boot winner, calmly converted the spot-kick to make it 1-0, securing the points for Madrid.
Debutants Carreras and 16-year-old Mastantuono impressed, with the latter receiving a warm reception from the home fans when introduced in the second half. Mastantuono nearly marked his debut with an assist for Tchouameni and a late shot of his own, but Herrera denied him. Arda Guler also went close with a curling effort that missed narrowly.
Osasuna’s only real chance came in the 64th minute when Bretones failed to connect with Rubén García’s cross. Their evening got worse when Bretones was sent off late for a foul on Gonzalo, leaving them to finish with 10 men.
With this result, Madrid maintained their remarkable record of going 17 consecutive LaLiga seasons unbeaten on opening day. The performance, led by Mbappe’s decisive strike, underlined their intent to chase silverware in Alonso’s first year in charge.
