Real Madrid kick off their La Liga campaign at home against Osasuna on Tuesday, as Xabi Alonso gets his first taste of being Real manager at the Santiago Bernabeu.
MORE — [La Liga schedule, table, top scorers](https://www.nbcsports.com/soccer/news/la-liga-2025-26-season-start-date-leading-scorers-table-more)
Of course, he knows the famous stadium extremely well as a key player for Real over many years as he was instrumental in UEFA Champions League and La Liga title wins. But this is different. Real have to make a big step forward this season to catch up with reigning La Liga champions, and bitter rivals, Barcelona.
The Club World Cup was ultimately a disappointment this summer as Real were knocked out at the semifinal stage by eventual champs PSG, with Kylian Mbappe missing several games due to a stomach issue. But he’s back and Real have new signings Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dean Huijsen, Franco Mastantuono and Alvaro Carreras, while young striker Gonzalo Garcia continues to make a name for himself.
Osasuna will be dangerous and punched well above their weight last season as they finished ninth and narrowly missed out on European qualification.
For live updates and highlights throughout Real Madrid vs Osasuna check out PST’s live blog coverage below.
**How to watch Real Madrid vs Osasuna live, stream link and start time**
------------------------------------------------------------------------
**Kick off time:** 3pm ET Tuesday (August 19)
**Venue:** Santiago Bernabeu -- Madrid
**TV Channel/Streaming:** [ESPN+](www.espn.com/soccer/team/fixtures/_/id/86/real-madrid)
Real Madrid team news, focus
----------------------------
Both Alexander-Arnold and Huijsen are set to make their La Liga debuts for Real Madrid and this is a big moment for them to show they’ve settled in following the Club World Cup. Alonso’s preferred style of play is still a work in progress, while it will be intriguing to see how Vinicius and Mbappe perform in attack as they aim to start the season off right. Jude Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga, Ferland Mendy and Endrick continue to recovery from injury.
Osasuna team news, focus
------------------------
Since being promoted to La Liga in 2019, Osasuna have been so consistent with six-straight finishes inside the top 11 and they were Copa del Rey runners up in 2023. Croatian striker Ante Budimir is their star as he scored 21 goals in La Liga last season and the veteran leads the line superbly.
Real Madrid vs Osasuna prediction
---------------------------------
This will probably be uncomfortable at times for Real Madrid but they should get the job done. **Real Madrid 3-1 Osasuna**.
* * *
#### Page 2