Los Blancos controversially did not hand the Argentine a first-team squad number upon his move to the Spanish capital.

England right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold made his La Liga debut as Real Madrid earned a narrow win against Osasuna. The summer signing from Liverpool had played five times for his new club at the Fifa Club World Cup, where they reached the semi-finals, under new boss Xabi Alonso.

Thomas Roncero, an editor at Spanish publication AS Diario, addressed his post-match concerns about Alexander-Arnold, who won two Premier League titles during his time with Liverpool in 2019/20 and 2024/25, which ended his 354-game spell on a high.