Álvaro Arbeloa: Real Madrid has the potential to improve significantly following surprising loss to Osasuna.
Álvaro Arbeloa acknowledged that Real Madrid “can perform significantly better” following a 2-1 loss to Osasuna on Saturday, which resulted in the team losing ground in the LaLiga title race.
Ante Budimir gave the home side the lead with a penalty in the first half at El Sadar, but Vinícius Júnior equalized in the 73rd minute, marking his fifth goal in four matches.
Raúl García netted a stunning winner in the 90th minute, which was initially ruled out for offside but was later confirmed by a VAR review, securing Osasuna their first home victory against Madrid in 15 years.
“It wasn’t a good match for us,” Arbeloa stated during his post-match press conference.
“We are capable of much more, we can play at a higher level. It is challenging to perform midweek and then again on a Sunday, but those are the expectations; this is Real Madrid. We understood the difficulty of coming here.”
Madrid had been in strong form, achieving four consecutive victories against Rayo Vallecano, Valencia, Real Sociedad, and Benfica prior to the match against Osasuna.
“Of course, nobody wants to lose,” Arbeloa remarked. “However, it will be a lengthy season. There is still much to play for. In the first half, we maintained considerable control, but we lacked pace in our play; we need to move the ball much more swiftly.”
“We must continue to work, and we need to exploit the flanks. We are focusing a lot on the left side, but we also need to utilize the right side; otherwise, we become too predictable for defenses.”
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“We recognize that we executed some good plays last Tuesday [against Benfica] that were not as easy to replicate today,” Arbeloa continued. “We have significant room for improvement, and when we are not at our best, any team can defeat us; we are conscious of that.”
The coach emphasized that star forward Kylian Mbappé was fit enough to participate, as he continues to manage a knee issue.
“He rested last week and did not play against La Real,” Arbeloa explained. “When we believe he is not in a condition to compete, we will not take risks with him. This is not solely my decision; we consult with the doctors and Kylian. But he did not play last week.”
García’s dramatic winner, which involved him maneuvering past defenders Raúl Asencio and Trent Alexander-Arnold before scoring past Thibaut Courtois, ignited jubilant celebrations at El Sadar.
“It’s an incredible feeling,” the forward shared with DAZN. “We hadn’t triumphed over Real Madrid here for 15 years. The team delivered an excellent performance… [The goal] is a type of move I often execute. In the second division, I’ve scored several goals like that.”
