Madrid kicks off its 2025-2026 La Liga season this Tuesday, welcoming Osasuna to the Bernabéu. The 36-time champions enter the campaign with fresh signings, fresh ambition, and a fresh manager in Xabi Alonso, who was hired to inject a more daring style of play after a second-half collapse under Carlo Ancelotti last year. With fans still buzzing about off-season transfer buzz, the club wants to erase memory of last year’s underwhelming finish and reclaim the league from arch-enemy Barcelona. Real Madrid kohtub Osasunaga
Alonso’s baptism of fire already showed him the gap in quality. At this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, Madrid’s squad was dismantled in the semi-final by a counter-punching Paris Saint-Germain, 4-0. Even without an aging squad, Madrid needs to sharpen and tighten to hold the trophy. After that defeat, the club added promising young prospects while also offloading a few veterans, leaving Alonso with a more dynamic, still unproven squad.
From that squad, the new manager now eyes the twin towers of the attack: Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior. The coach impressed fans in Germany by perfecting a 3-4-2-1 that helped Bayer Leverkusen lift last year’s Bundesliga trophy, but adjusting that blueprint to Madrid will require unlocking a two-headed dragon in attack without compromising the balance of the team’s spine. How well Alonso juggles the egos and talents of Mbappe and Vinicius will likely define the title race from the opening kick. Kickoff Tuesday is set for 20:30 CET.
Both Mbappé, who lit up last year with 44 goals in his opening campaign at Real, and Vinícius, whose tally dropped after the Frenchman joined, are under direct orders to up their off-the-ball work and model professionalism, as noted by Marca. Alonso is said to fear that the squad is too often fragmented by visible disagreements, a pattern setting in early last term. Should the duo fail to forge a reliable frontline in the 2025-2026 season, speculation about Vinícius’s departure will inevitable surface again.
Speaking of progress, Osasuna capped last season with a surge, finishing ninth in La Liga and reaching the Copa del Rey quarters. That’s the club’s best campaign in a decade, putting them back in the conversation for the European spots.
What went down the last time Real Madrid faced Osasuna?
The last clash between these two teams ended with sparks flying and the scoreboard reading 1-1 on February 19. Real Madrid was cruising when everything shifted. After Jude Bellingham was controversially shown red in the 39th minute—his talking-back to the ref was the reason—the leaders at the time could not find a second goal and settled for a draw that felt like a loss.
Modric out, Guler in
Luka Modric, the heartbeat of Madrid for years, will not lace up for the 2025-26 La Liga campaign. For the first time in a decade, the midfield maestro is officially a memory as the team starts its quest for another title. Losing his intelligence and calm in tight spaces leaves a noticeable hole, especially with the team still hunting for that creative pull in the center.
The obvious answer the club hopes for is Arda Guler. The Turkish talent, 20, is beginning his second year and is being counted on to pick up the baton. He is already working on the responsibilities that come with that. “The coach is trying to make us have more control of the game, and that’s better for me,” Guler explained.Altogether, he should have the freedom to dictate play early on, especially since Jude Bellingham will be missing another couple of months. Mid-October is still the target for his return, meaning Guler is set for a steady stream of minutes.