Álvaro Arbeloa admitted Real Madrid «can play much better» after a 2-1 defeat at Osasuna on Saturday saw the team drop points in the LaLiga title race.
Ante Budimir put the hosts ahead with a first-half penalty at El Sadar, before Vinícius Júnior levelled in the 73rd minute with his fifth goal in four appearances.
Forward Raúl García scored a spectacular 90th-minute winner — initially disallowed for offside, before a VAR check — to give Osasuna their first home win over Madrid in 15 years.
«It wasn’t a good game for us,» Arbeloa said in his post-match news conference.
«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.»
Madrid had been in good form, with four consecutive wins over Rayo Vallecano, Valencia, Real Sociedad and Benfica going into the Osasuna game.
«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.»
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«We know we did good things last Tuesday [against Benfica] that today it wasn’t so easy to do,» Arbeloa added. «We have a lot of room for improvement, and when we aren’t at 100% any team can beat you, we’re aware of that.»
The coach insisted that star forward Kylian Mbappé had been fit enough to play, as he continues to manage a knee problem.
«He rested last week, he didn’t play against La Real,» Arbeloa said. «When we think he isn’t in condition to play we won’t risk him. That isn’t something I decide alone, we talk to the doctors, with Kylian. But he didn’t play last week.»
García’s dramatic winner, which saw him cut past defenders Raúl Asencio and Trent Alexander-Arnold before beating Thibaut Courtois, sparked joyous celebrations at El Sadar.
«It’s an incredible feeling,» the forward told DAZN. «We hadn’t beaten Real Madrid here for 15 years. The team played a great game… [The goal] is a move I do a lot. In the second division I’ve scored a few goals like that.»
