Real Madrid’s head coach, Alvaro Arbeloa, conceded that his squad has the capacity to “perform significantly better” after their 2-1 loss to Osasuna on Saturday caused them to lose ground in the LaLiga championship chase.
Ante Budimir secured the lead for the home team with a spot-kick during the first half at Estadio El Sadar. Vinícius Jr then equalized in the 73rd minute, merely two minutes after Kylian Mbappe had a goal disallowed for offside.
Subsequently, attacker Raul García clinched a stunning 90th-minute decisive goal, which was validated following a VAR check. This result secured Osasuna’s inaugural victory on home turf against Los Blancos in a decade and a half.
“It wasn’t our best display,” Arbeloa remarked post-game.
“We are capable of achieving much more, we can perform with greater quality. Accomplishing this on a weekday and then again on a Sunday is challenging, but these are the expectations at Real Madrid. We were aware of the arduous task of playing here.”
This outcome signifies that Real forfeited the opportunity to establish a five-point lead over their competitors, Barcelona. Consequently, the Catalan club now has the potential to overtake Arbeloa’s team in the standings if they secure a victory against Levante on Sunday.
The Real manager acknowledged the loss was disheartening, yet he maintained that much of the journey still remains in the championship chase.
“Naturally, no one desires defeat,” Arbeloa stated.
“However, it will be a protracted campaign. Much still remains.”
“Our efforts must persist. We possess significant scope for enhancement, and we are conscious that if we are not performing optimally, any opponent can triumph over us.”
The upcoming fixture for Real is the return match of their Champions League knockout round encounter with Benfica on Wednesday. The previous week’s fixture, where Vinicius Jr netted the sole goal, was overshadowed by purported racially charged remarks directed at the Brazilian.