Kylian Mbappé Fires Real Madrid To Winning Start For Alonso Against Osasuna

Kylian Mbappé’s second-half punishment secured for Real Madrid a hard-fought 1-0 location triumph against Osasuna successful their opening La Liga crippled of nan play connected Tuesday, giving Xabi Alonso a winning commencement successful his first convention lucifer successful complaint of nan hosts.

After struggling to break down a stubborn Osasuna defence successful nan opening half, Mbappé won nan punishment and converted from nan spot six minutes aft nan break to springiness Real nan lead, but nan location broadside were incapable to summation their advantage.

“In nan first half we didn’t person abstraction and past successful nan 2nd half we scored early,” Mbappé told Real Madrid TV. “We had much chances and we had much control, we expected to people nan 2nd but it didn’t come.”

The visitors had Abel Bretones sent disconnected successful added clip for a foul disconnected nan shot connected Gonzalo García arsenic Alonso’s broadside sewage their convention run disconnected to a winning but underwhelming commencement arsenic they look to wrestle backmost the convention title from Barcelona.

Alonso’s side, whose past competitory crippled ended successful a 4-0 conclusion against Paris Saint-Germain in nan Club World Cup semi-finals, wholly dominated against a visiting broadside intelligibly contented to beryllium backmost and possibly travel distant pinch a draw, which they almost managed.

Real enjoyed plentifulness of possession successful nan opening 45 minutes pinch tons of slick passing, but their only existent chances came done shots from distance, pinch Éder Militão’s powerful onslaught forcing nan Osasuna goalkeeper Sergio Herrera into a decent save.

All Osasuna’s protect activity was undone soon aft nan break erstwhile a foul by Juan Cruz connected Mbappé was punished pinch a penalty, and Real’s French guardant stepped up and sent nan keeper nan incorrect measurement arsenic nan hosts yet recovered nan net.

Kylian Mbappé scores his second-half punishment to settee nan match. Photograph: Antonio Villalba/Real Madrid/Getty Images

The extremity forced Osasuna retired of their ammunition somewhat, while Real pushed to find a 2nd extremity to termination disconnected nan game, pinch Arda Guler unleashing a changeable from extracurricular nan area which zipped conscionable complete nan bar.

Alonso, who started nan crippled pinch 3 of nan club’s caller signings – Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dean Huijsen and Álvaro Carreras – successful his backmost four, past sent connected nan 18-year-old Argentinian midfielder Franco Mastantuono for his Real debut.

Mastantuono almost made an contiguous impact, pinch his effort from a wide perspective saved by Herrera astatine his adjacent post. Minutes earlier, Osasuna had their chance to snatch what would person been an undeserved equaliser but Ante Budimir headed complete from wrong nan six-yard box.

“It was important for america to commencement pinch a triumph astatine home, we knew it was going to beryllium difficult,” Mbappé said. “Osasuna had a clear scheme to hold for america and they had Budimir. We are happy pinch nan triumph and we are going for more.”

With Barcelona beating Mallorca 3-0 successful their opening crippled connected Saturday, 3 points were already a must for Alonso, and he did it without nan injured Jude Bellingham, Ferland Mendy, Eduardo Camavinga and Endrick, arsenic good arsenic nan suspended Antonio Rüdiger.