Winners and Losers From Real Madrid’s 2025

Real Madrid’s proven superstars and new signings took center stage in their first La Liga match of the season, and not always for the right reasons.

The Spanish giants kicked off their 2025–26 campaign with a 1–0 victory over Osasuna on Tuesday night. Xabi Alonso made his debut on the touchline at the Santiago Bernabéu and led his new team to three points in a comfortable, yet lackluster win.

Despite the minimal goalscoring, there were standout performances from players in white that carried Real Madrid to their first triumph of the season. Others came under scrutiny for the roles they played in the clash, with one player not even getting the chance to take part in the action.

Here’s the biggest winners and losers from Real Madrid’s La Liga opener.

Winner: Kylian Mbappe

Let’s start with the obvious. Real Madrid have become Kylian Mbappé’s team. Los Blancos go the way of their superstar forward, and they once again collected three points thanks to the Frenchman.

Mbappé won his side a penalty just six minutes into the second half with a blistering run inside the box, forcing a sloppy sliding tackle from Juan Cruz. Referee Adrian Cordero Vega immediately sounded his whistle and pointed to the spot, and Mbappé calmly converted the penalty to open his account in 2025–26.

The goal decided the game, giving Mbappé another night of playing hero for the sea of white shirts at the Santiago Bernabéu. With the No. 10 on his back, the France captain also created the most chances in the match (2), completed the most dribbles (8) and won the most duels (11).

Simply put, it was the Mbappé show at the Santiago Bernabéu on Tuesday night.

Loser: Rodrygo

Rodrygo spent the entirety of Real Madrid’s La Liga opener on the bench. The Brazilian was overlooked by Alonso in the team’s XI and then was not even brought on as a substitute.

The winger has not only fallen out of favor with Alonso, but is also seemingly at the bottom of the new boss’s depth chart. When Los Blancos were searching for an insurance goal, the former Bayer Leverkusen manager awarded 18-year-old Franco Mastantuono his debut in a white shirt. Gonzalo García got to put in a cameo as well, all while Rodrygo sat on the sidelines.

Alonso once again did not offer much insight into the decision after the match, simply saying, “It’s just a game. This was my decision.”

With each passing match Rodrygo spends on the bench, his future at Real Madrid grows more and more uncertain. A player with the resume and quality of the Brazil international will not be content to serve as a mere bystander, not even if it means staying at the biggest club in the world.

Winner: Dean Huijsen

Dean Huijsen had a La Liga debut to remember. The 20-year-old played well beyond his age alongside Éder Militão, helping Real Madrid keep a clean sheet in their first match of the season.

From his smart positioning to his crucial interventions, Huijsen stifled just about every Osasuna push before they even crossed the halfway line. In fact, the opponents managed just two shots all game, and neither were on target.

Thibaut Courtois did not have to make a single save all night, much in part due to Huijsen’s complete dominance. Even when Real Madrid lost possession, it was often the former Bournemouth center back winning the ball back for his side almost instantly.

Plus, the Spain international hardly put a foot wrong with it at his feet. Sixteen of Huijsen’s 17 long balls found their target and he completed 89 passes, the most by any player on the pitch. He even attempted an effort from long range that nearly got Los Blancos on the scoresheet in the first half.

Loser: Trent Alexander-Arnold

It was a difficult game to fully judge Trent Alexander-Arnold’s first performance in La Liga. The fullback had little defending to do and was often left on an island on the right side of the pitch while Real Madrid overloaded the left flank.

Still, when Alexander-Arnold did get involved, he struggled to link up with his new teammates in the attack. The 26-year-old produced zero accurate long balls and only connected on one of his seven cross attempts.

Alexander-Arnold seemed to rely on what worked for him at Liverpool, but Los Blancos rarely create magic from crosses or long balls, especially when the service is subpar. The England international would have found more success had he instead linked up with Brahim Díaz, who got the nod on the right wing.

The good news for Alexander-Arnold is that he only has to wait five more days before he can erase his underwhelming La Liga debut with a more noteworthy performance when Real Madrid take on Real Oviedo.