In a major upset that has upended the Spanish La Liga title race, league leaders Real Madrid suffered a 1-2 defeat against a resilient Osasuna side in the 25th round of matches. This loss not only ended Real Madrid's winning streak but also opened the door wide for arch-rivals Barcelona to seize the top spot.
Details of the night Real Madrid fell at El Sadar Stadium
The match was thrilling from the opening minutes, with the home side imposing their style and taking the lead through Ante Budimir, who successfully converted a penalty in the 38th minute, putting early pressure on Carlo Ancelotti's men. Despite Real Madrid's desperate attempts to get back into the game, which culminated in an equalizer from Brazilian star Vinicius Junior in the 73rd minute, Osasuna refused to settle for a point.
As the match drew to a close, specifically in the 90th minute, Raúl García delivered a knockout blow to the dreams of the Madridistas by scoring the decisive winning goal, ending the match with a historic victory for Osasuna and halting Real Madrid's winning streak of eight consecutive matches.
The impact of the result on the title race and league standings
This loss leaves Real Madrid stuck on 60 points, putting them in a precarious position as they are now threatened with losing first place to Barcelona (58 points). All eyes are on today's match between the Catalan club and Levante, where a victory for Xavi Hernandez's team would take them to 61 points and sole possession of the top spot in La Liga, adding extra importance to today's encounter and intensifying the competition in the coming weeks.
On the other hand, Osasuna raised its tally to 33 points with this valuable victory, strengthening its position in ninth place and moving away from the danger zones, which confirms the development of the team’s performance and its ability to compete with the big teams.
Other results and matches of the round
Aside from the top-of-the-table clash, the round saw other exciting results, including a 1-1 draw between Real Betis and Rayo Vallecano. In another dramatic encounter, Real Sociedad and Real Oviedo played out a thrilling 3-3 draw, highlighting the intense competition across the table.
The round's matches will continue today, Sunday, with the anticipated clash between Barcelona and Levante, while the curtain will fall on the 25th week of competitions tomorrow, Monday, with a match between Deportivo Alaves and Girona.
