A sending off hurt Carlo Ancelotti's side as they battled for an awkward draw that will give Atletico Madrid hope
Real Madrid dropped crucial points in the title race on Saturday, a controversial red card shown to Jude Bellingham forcing them to settle for a frustrating 1-1 draw with Osasuna. Bellingham was shown his marching orders for an apparent comment made to the referee in a chippy contest, forcing Los Blancos to play 50 minutes with 10 men. And although they had their chances, they were made to settle for a draw.
Madrid were firmly in control early on. There was a real zip to los Blancos' play, Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr buzzing around while Bellingham orchestrated below them. Mbappe grabbed the opener after 15 minutes. Federico Valverde created it, pinging a fine cross to the near post, which the Frenchman flicked home after cutting across his man. But things changed swiftly. A series of hard fouls on Mbappe incensed the Madrid bench, and Carlo Ancelotti was booked. The game got worse shortly before the half when Bellingham was shown a straight red for a series of remarks made towards the referee.
The second saw Osasuna take control. They equalised on the hour mark when veteran striker Ante Budimir converted from the spot after an Eduardo Camavinga tackle – which only further angered the Madrid bench. Los Blancos made things happen on the break, though. Vinicius was denied of a wonder-goal by a fine clearance. Luka Modric blasted over from close range. Mbappe had one last chance in stoppage time – which the goalkeeper equaled with a fine stop. An Atletico Madrid win later in the day could see them seize the top spot. Title race on.
GOAL rates Real Madrid's players from El Sadar…
Goalkeeper & Defence
Thibaut Courtois (7/10):
Made an impressive save to keep Madrid ahead in the first half. Sent the wrong way on the penalty.
Federico Valverde (6/10):
Provided a lovely assist for Mbappe, agreeable without being spectacular defensively.
Aurelien Tchouameni (6/10):
A bit mixed, all said. Made a few vital interventions, but still caught out of position at times.
Raul Asencio (6/10):
Showed some real composure at the back in a game where everyone seemed to lose their heads.
Fran Garcia (6/10):
Full of legs and industry on the left – although his positioning can be questioned at times.
AdvertisementMidfield
Eduardo Camavinga (6/10):
Flew into tackles, covered spaces, and provided some much-needed midfield bite. Gave away a baffling penalty, though.
Luka Modric (7/10):
His cool head was vital in an otherwise chippy clash. Really effective on the ball, and controlled the tempo with aplomb.
Jude Bellingham (4/10):
Wonderful in 38 minutes. Was then shown a straight red for arguing with the ref in the 39th. A puzzling decision? Perhaps. But the midfielder should know better.
Attack
Brahim Diaz (5/10):
Buzzed around, but never really made an impact in the final third. Disappointing after an immensely impressive showing midweek.
Kylian Mbappe (6/10):
Lively early on. Took his goal nicely, too. Should have added a second in the second half, though – and rather faded late on.
Vinicius Jr (8/10):
Ritually tore his man to shreds for 90 minutes. Denied of what would have been the goal of the season by a miraculous clearance. About as good as it gets without scoring.
Subs & Manager
Rodrygo (6/10):
Found all of the right spots and made things happen for his teammates, but couldn't make a real impact off the bench.
Carlo Ancelotti (5/10):
Went for an attacking setup against a side Los Blancos should do away with pretty comfortably. His side were in control until the Bellingham red, and then it all got a bit chaotic. He can have his complaints about refereeing – again.