<figure id="attachment_3287593" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-3287593" style="width: 1600px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-3287593" src="https://media.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/7ae4e556-13771118.webp" alt="" width="1600" height="1000" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-3287593" class="wp-caption-text">Real Madrid&#8217;s Kylian Mbappe (left) in action against Osasuna&#8217;s Javi Galan during their La Liga football match. (EPA Images pic)</figcaption></figure>
PAMPLONA: Raul Garcia&#8217;s superb 90th-minute strike consigned leaders Real Madrid to a 2-1 defeat at Osasuna in La Liga on Saturday, in a blow to their title hopes.
Champions Barcelona trail Madrid by two points but can overtake them on Sunday if they beat Levante at Camp Nou.
Alvaro Arbeloa&#8217;s Madrid put on a below-par performance in Pamplona and fell behind to an Ante Budimir penalty, before Vinicius Junior pulled the visitors level.
The second leg of Madrid&#8217;s Champions League play-off against Jose Mourinho&#8217;s Benfica on Wednesday seemed to play on their minds as they failed to kick on at El Sadar.
Vinicius, who scored a sensational goal to give Madrid a slender first-leg lead but was then the victim of alleged racial abuse, thought he had earned his team a point before Garcia blasted home the winner.
&#8220;It was not a good game from us&#8230; we have to play a lot better,&#8221; Arbeloa told reporters.
&#8220;Nobody likes to lose, us least of all, but we&#8217;re not hurt. There&#8217;s a long way to go.
&#8220;We had control at some points but we lacked speed in our play&#8230; on Wednesday we have another final, another game that is very important for us.&#8221;
Croatian target man Budimir curled narrowly wide of Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois&#8217;s far post early on, the first of many problems he gave the visitors.
The Belgian stopper made an excellent save a few minutes later, after Budimir tried to nod home Ruben Garcia&#8217;s cross under pressure from Alvaro Carreras.
Budimir also clipped the post with a header as Osasuna impressed, with their victory helping them rise to ninth.
Madrid defender David Alaba came close when Alejandro Catena blocked his shot, shortly before the hosts took the lead.
Budimir burst into the area and went down under a challenge from Courtois. Although he was initially booked for diving a VAR review showed the goalkeeper stood on his foot.
The veteran forward took the resulting penalty himself and sent Courtois the wrong way to give Osasuna the lead.
&#8220;I knew it was a penalty and I wanted to stay cool (while it was being reviewed),&#8221; said Budimir.
Osasuna sat deep at times in the second half, looking to fend off 15-time European champions Madrid.
Arda Guler came close with a vicious shot that flew just over.
Chasing an equaliser, Arbeloa threw on creative duo Trent Alexander-Arnold and Brahim Diaz and his team began to take control.
French superstar Kylian Mbappe put the ball in the back of Osasuna&#8217;s net but had edged offside, although the equaliser was not long in coming.
Fede Valverde charged into the box with the ball, unperturbed by Osasuna&#8217;s defenders bouncing off him, before crossing for Vinicius to tuck home.
It was the Brazilian&#8217;s fifth goal in his last four games across all competitions, having found his best form since Arbeloa replaced Xabi Alonso at the helm in January.
Wasted chance
Mbappe, La Liga&#8217;s top goalscorer, should have put Madrid ahead with 10 minutes to go but Javi Galan brilliantly blocked his shot.
Alexander-Arnold curled a free-kick wide as the clock ticked down and it looked like Madrid were left ruing two points dropped, when the third was taken away from them too.
Raul Garcia cut inside the sliding Raul Asencio brilliantly and fired across Courtois and in at the far post.
The striker&#8217;s celebrations were cut short by the offside flag but a VAR review showed he was onside and the goal was given.
It was the first time Osasuna have beaten Madrid in La Liga for 15 years.
&#8220;It&#8217;s an incredible feeling&#8230; I think (that fact) is crazy. The fans deserved a victory like this after so many years,&#8221; Raul Garcia told DAZN.
&#8220;When I saw (Asencio) coming I knew he was going to go to ground and after that I stayed calm to swerve him and was able to score.&#8221;
Real Betis, fifth, were held 1-1 at home against Rayo Vallecano earlier Saturday, leaving them three points behind fourth-placed Atletico Madrid.
Diego Simeone&#8217;s side host Espanyol later on, aiming to make amends after last weekend&#8217;s 3-0 defeat by Rayo.

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