Bellingham Sees Red as Real Madrid Drops Points Against Osasuna
Real Madrid's hopes of extending their lead at the top of La Liga were dashed as they were held to a frustrating draw against Osasuna, with Jude Bellingham receiving a red card. The English midfielder, who had been the hero in Real’s Champions League victory against Manchester City earlier in the week, was sent off in the 39th minute for using offensive language towards referee Jose Luis Munuera Montero. This was only his second dismissal for the club, the first coming in March 2024 after he protested against a referee’s decision in a match against Valencia. Before the setback, Kylian Mbappe had put Real ahead with a clinical finish, expertly converting Federico Valverde’s pinpoint cross to register his 17th league goal of the season.
Osasuna found a way back into the game in the second half when Eduardo Camavinga was penalized for a foul on Ante Budimir inside the box. The home striker stepped up and calmly converted the penalty to level the score in the 58th minute. Despite being a man down, Real Madrid pushed for a winner, with Vinicius Jr creating a golden opportunity by dribbling past two defenders before his shot was heroically cleared off the line by Alejandro Catena. The Brazilian forward also set up Luka Modric with a precise back-post cross, but the Croatian veteran failed to direct his volley on target. Meanwhile, Mbappe squandered a key moment when he opted to shoot instead of passing to Vinicius, who was in a better position to score.
With the draw, Real Madrid missed the chance to extend their lead in La Liga, leaving them vulnerable to their title rivals. Atletico Madrid, just two points behind, could leapfrog them into first place with a victory over Celta Vigo later in the day. Barcelona, under Hansi Flick, also had the opportunity to overtake Real on goal difference if they secured a win against Rayo Vallecano on Monday night. The result leaves Real Madrid under pressure as they navigate a challenging run of fixtures in their pursuit of domestic and European glory.
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