Trent Alexander-Arnold didn't cover himself in glory as Real Madrid fell to a surprise defeat to Osasuna in La Liga, with the former Liverpool star partly at fault for the late winner
James Findlater Content Editor
09:40, 22 Feb 2026
Trent Alexander-Arnold of Real Madrid CF looks on during the Spanish League, LaLiga EA Sports, football match played between CA Osasuna and Real Madrid at El Sadar stadium on February 21, 2026, in Pamplona, Spain
Trent Alexander-Arnold didn't cover himself in glory as Real Madrid fell to defeat against Osasuna(Image: Getty Images)
Trent Alexander-Arnold was made to pay dearly as Real Madrid fell to a surprise 2-1 defeat against Osasuna on Saturday.
The former Liverpool vice-captain was named on the bench as Alvaro Arbeloa looked to rest him ahead of the second leg of Real’s Champions League play-off against Benfica on Wednesday, although he was called upon to replace Dani Carvajal just after the hour mark.
The change seemed to make a difference, with Madrid going on to equalize through Vinicius Jr, who responded in perfect fashion after he was the subject of alleged racial abuse against Benfica during the week. His side though couldn’t find a winner, and ultimately went home empty-handed.
READ MORE: Thiago Alcantara to make Liverpool return as latest signing confirmedREAD MORE: Jeremy Jacquet injury claim emerges after $83M Liverpool transfer - 'No guarantee'
With the game meandering toward 90 minutes, Alexander-Arnold was caught on the ball on the halfway line, and although Dani Ceballos won it back, he almost immediately gave it away again, leaving his teammates to try and chase back as Osasuna attacked.
Alexander-Arnold didn’t cover himself in glory as he sat off eventual goalscorer Raul Garcia, allowing him to run through, and the Osasuna forward easily evaded the former Liverpool star as he beat Thibaut Courtois to secure victory for the hosts.
The defeat saw Real miss the chance to go five points clear of Barcelona at the top of La Liga, and they could now be leapfrogged by their great rival, who faces Levante on Sunday.
Trent Alexander-Arnold player of Real Madrid in action during the LaLiga EA Sports match between CA Osasuna and Real Madrid CF at Estadio El Sadar on February 21, 2026 in Pamplona, Spain
Trent Alexander-Arnold came off the bench for Real Madrid but then played a hand in Osasuna's winner(Image: Getty Images)
Very few of Madrid’s players have escaped criticism after the shock result, with Alexander-Arnold’s role in the eventual winner heavily scrutinized.
Given a rating of four out of 10, Goal summer up his performance by saying: “A poor showing in a roaming role at right back. Moved the ball well but received a silly yellow - and might have done better for Osasuna's second.”
Summing up his side’s performance, Real boss Arbeloa said in his post-match press conference: "It wasn't a good game for us.
Get LFC's 2025/26 season home and away kits
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Content Image
From $100
LFC.com
See the deal
Liverpool's home and away strips for the 2025/26 season are the first in their new partnership with adidas.
Fans can order jerseys in the US at Fanatics.com or via the LFC Online Store in both the US and across the world.
"We can do a lot more, we can play much better. It isn't easy to do it in midweek and then a Sunday, but those are the demands, this is Real Madrid. We knew how difficult it would be to come here."
Article continues below
He added: "Nobody wants to lose of course," Arbeloa said. "But it will be a long season. There's a lot left. In the first half we had quite a lot of control, but we lacked speed in our game, we have to move the ball much more quickly.
"We have to keep working, we have to open teams up on the wings. We're playing a lot down the left, but we have to do it on the other side too, otherwise we're too easy to defend."