Osasuna 1 - Real Madrid 0

Osasuna: Sanzol; Yanguas, Mateo, Josetxo, Antonio López; Muñoz, Puñal, Alfredo (Palacios 84'), Manfredini (Gancedo 75'); Iván Rosado, Aloisi (Morales 92'). 4-4-2.
Real Madrid: Casillas; Michel Salgado, Pavón, Iván Helguera, Roberto Carlos; Makelele, Flavio Conceiçao (Guti 60'); Figo, Raúl, Zidane (Morientes 73'); Ronaldo. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Osasuna: Mateo, Manfredini for Cruchaga, Rivero / Madrid: Michel Salgado, Pavón, Flavio Conceiçao for Miñambres, Hierro, Cambiasso.

Goals:
1-0. 38. Manfredini. Cut in from left past Salgado to hit low shot across Casillas.

Real Madrid lost only their second league game of the season at what is becoming a bogey ground, Osasuna's El Sadar stadium. Last season their defeat in Pamplona had signalled the start of their downfall, and this year they lost their fifteen match unbeaten league record to a battling Osasuna who were in dire need of a win. Despite an upcoming Champions League match, Del Bosque put out his best available side, missing only the injured Hierro from his all-star line up. They were dominated though in the early minutes by some hard tackling on an icy pitch, and could have gone behind if Osasuna had been able to take their chances, or if referee Medina Cantalejo had given a penalty when Pavón brought down Aloisi in the area.

Eventually though the pressure paid off, and new signing Manfredini delighted the crowd on his home debut leaving Michel Salgado trailing before striking a low shot across Casillas to score. Madrid have come back from behind several times this season, but this time there was no second half reaction, with some of the players looking tired after their long journeys to play for their countries midweek. The only action Sanzol saw was a couple of half-hearted efforts from Ronaldo, Figo and Raúl, and Aloisi almost made it two when he turned Iván Rosado's cross against the post with the keeper beaten.

Things got worse for the visitors when Figo was shown the red card for a tackle from behind on Puñal, and Muñoz hit the corssbar with a header soon afterwards. Even so they could have saved a point when a Morientes effort was headed away from behind the line at the second attempt by Gancedo, Medina waving away Madrid's appeals that the ball had crossed the line and also that a defender had handled the ball in the penalty area in the following action. Television pictures suggested that the referee was wrong, but on this performance Madrid didn't deserve to save a point anyway. A defeat for leaders Real Sociedad meant they stay two points behind the leaders, but they will have to improve if they are to beat Borussia Dortmund next Wednesday.