Osasuna Face Monumental Challenge at Bernabéu in LaLiga Opener

The 2025-26 LaLiga season begins with a daunting test for Osasuna, who visit the Santiago Bernabéu seeking their first win there in 21 years. The Pamplona side’s last triumph in Madrid dates back to April 11, 2004, when Javier Aguirre’s spirited squad stunned Real Madrid with a 3-0 victory.

Valdo, Pablo García – who would join Los Blancos the following year – and Moha were the heroes that afternoon against a team coached by Carlos Queiroz, featuring global stars such as David Beckham, Luís Figo, Ronaldo, and Raúl. That shock defeat contributed to Madrid’s turbulent season, ending with Queiroz’s dismissal and the club’s infamous fourth-place finish during the so-called “Zidanes y Pavones” era.

Since then, the Bernabéu has been an impenetrable fortress for Real Madrid in this fixture. In 17 league meetings since that Osasuna victory, Los Rojillos have managed just three draws – in 2005, 2021, and 2022 – while suffering 14 defeats. Madrid’s dominance has been emphatic, with 46 goals scored to Osasuna’s 10, including a crushing 7-1 win in 2011 under José Mourinho, where Cristiano Ronaldo hit a hat-trick and Karim Benzema scored twice.

The last two visits have both ended 4-0 in favor of Madrid, underlining the challenge ahead for new Osasuna coach Alessio Lisci. The Italian makes his LaLiga debut at the helm of Los Rojillos against Xabi Alonso, who himself takes charge of Real Madrid in his first league match at the Bernabéu. Ironically, Alonso was on the pitch during that 7-1 thrashing in 2011, and now faces Osasuna from the dugout.

For Osasuna, the clash brings back memories of their combative sides of the 2000s, which not only battled Madrid fiercely but also went on to secure European football, including a run to the Champions League. At El Sadar, the fixture often produced drama, from Savo Milošević tormenting Sergio Ramos’s World Cup hopes to the infamous 2009 refereeing controversy involving Juanfran and Pérez Burrull.

Yet in Madrid, the script has rarely changed. With 21 years since their last Bernabéu triumph, Lisci and his team will attempt to emulate the tenacity of Aguirre’s side and write a new chapter in club history.

Kickoff at the Bernabéu marks not only the start of the season but also an uphill battle: Osasuna against history itself.