Kylian Mbappe struck from the penalty spot as Real Madrid beat a dogged CA Osasuna 1-0 on Tuesday to make a winning start in Spanish La Liga under new coach Xabi Alonso.
The France striker, last season’s European Golden Shoe winner, scored early in the second half, after he was fouled in the area by Osasuna defender Juan Cruz.
It was enough to seal the points in Alonso’s first game in charge at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Madrid now unbeaten in their opening fixture of a league campaign since 2008.
Photo: AFP
“You can see that Kylian wants to do even more after this first year where he did great things,” Alonso said.
Mbappe finished as La Liga’s top scorer with 31 goals in his first season in Spain and is now wearing the No. 10 shirt vacated by Luka Modric after the Croatian left for AC Milan last month.
“I don’t know if it’s linked to the new number or not, or simply to his desire to win, but he wants to improve individual and collective performance, and inspire his teammates,” Alonso added. “You can see his desire every day. Today he created those decisive moments that enable us to win matches.”
Madrid had a shortened preseason after their run to the FIFA Club World Cup semi-finals last month, but Alonso has been adamant that would not be used as an excuse after their request for the Osasuna match to be postponed to a later date was rejected.
“To start on the right foot is key in La Liga. We know we weren’t well prepared,” Madrid defender Dani Carvajal told DAZN. “But we basically didn’t suffer, and it was a complete display.”
Spain international Carvajal came off the bench for his first league appearance since October last year after a long-term knee injury, replacing Trent Alexander-Arnold in the second half.
Alexander-Arnold made his La Liga debut after his move from Liverpool, with former AFC Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen and leftback Alvaro Carreras other summer arrivals included in the starting lineup.
Madrid were without England midfielder Jude Bellingham, who is expected to be sidelined until October as he recovers from an operation to solve a recurrent shoulder issue.
Madrid are looking to turn the page on a disappointing end to the Carlo Ancelotti era after relinquishing their domestic and European crowns last season.
Alonso’s side had to show patience against an Osasuna team who finished ninth last term, with the hosts largely restricted to long-range efforts from centerbacks Huijsen and Eder Militao in the first half.
Osasuna goalkeeper Sergio Herrera was equal to both, while Mbappe failed to connect cleanly after being picked out by Vinicius Junior before he curled another shot wide as Madrid struggled to break down their opponents. However, Mbappe grabbed the only goal six minutes after halftime after he went down following a clumsy challenge by Cruz as he tried to cut past the defender.
Mbappe duly got up and running for the new campaign as he sent Herrera the wrong way from the spot.
Alonso handed 18-year-old Argentine winger Franco Mastantuono his debut midway through the second half as Madrid controlled the game and seldom looked troubled.
Ante Budimir headed over in a rare opportunity for Osasuna and Mastantuono was denied late on by Herrera.
Osasuna finished the match with 10 men with Abel Bretones sent off in stoppage-time for throwing an arm to block the run of Gonzalo Garcia.
Greek swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev was the only athlete to “beat” a world record on Sunday at the Enhanced Games, winning the men’s 50m freestyle at the divisive competition where athletes were free to take performance-enhancing substances. His time of 20.81 seconds — which is not considered official — came in the final event of the night in Las Vegas, sparing the blushes of organizers who made claims that multiple world records would be surpassed due to a sophisticated doping regime. Gkolomeev, who was wearing a synthetic “supersuit” long banned at events such as the Olympics, outpaced Australia’s Cameron McEvoy’s 20.88 set in
Fred Kerley is competing unaugmented against drug-fuelled athletes at this weekend’s Enhanced Games and still hopes to race in the 2028 Olympics, the suspended former 100m world champion said on Friday. Arguably the biggest name at the divisive event in Las Vegas, where doping is permitted, the US sprinter said he had chosen not to take any of the banned substances including testosterone and steroids that his competitors have been using. “I don’t need it. God gave me fast feet for a reason. And I’m here to showcase my talent,” Kerley said. Kerley last September became the first US competitor and first track
VICTORY ABROAD: The team took home a fistful of medals and secured spots for the autumn’s Asian Games, scheduled for September in Nagoya Taiwan’s women’s team captured the overall title at the Asian Taekwondo Championships in Mongolia on Sunday, finishing with two golds, one silver and one bronze medal. The strong showing, led by gold medalists Wang Chieh-ling and Chang Jui-en secured the full quota of available spots for Taiwan at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, in September. Wang opened Taiwan’s medal run by winning gold in the women’s under-46kg class on Thursday, the first day of competition. Liu Yu-yun later earned a silver in the under-49kg class. On the final day on Sunday, Chang won Taiwan’s second gold medal in the under-62kg event, and
The manager of the Yomiuri Giants, one of Japan’s most popular baseball teams, resigned yesterday after he was arrested for allegedly physically attacking his teenage daughter. Shinnosuke Abe allegedly grabbed the 18-year-old and forced her to the floor at their home in central Tokyo on Monday evening, reported national broadcaster NHK and Kyodo News, citing unnamed police sources. “Leaving like this really means I’m causing you a lot of trouble, and I feel truly sorry about that,” Abe told a hastily arranged news conference, his eyes red with tears. The former star catcher, who is among baseball-obsessed Japan’s most recognized sports figures,
RSS