Xabi Alonso believes Real Madrid’s four new players handled the pressure of playing at the Santiago Bernabeu as they opened their LaLiga campaign with a 1-0 win over Osasuna.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dean Huijsen and Alvaro Carreras all made their first league starts for Madrid on Tuesday, with the defensive trio rarely tested as Osasuna sat deep and defended for long periods.
After a frustrating first half, Kylian Mbappe won and converted a 51st-minute penalty to put Madrid ahead, and Abel Bretones’ late red card ended Osasuna’s hopes of a comeback.
Alonso, who was taking charge of Madrid at the Bernabeu for the first time after leaving Bayer Leverkusen, was also able to hand €45m winger Franco Mastantuono his debut as a 68th-minute substitute.
The former River Plate prospect became the third-youngest foreign debutant in LaLiga history, at 18 years and five days old.
That is 30 days younger than Endrick was when making his competition debut last year, with Martin Odegaard (16 years, 157 days) and Samuel Eto’o (17 years, 270 days) the only non-Spanish players to feature in LaLiga at a younger age.
Mastantuono went close to marking the occasion with a goal when he escaped into the area in the second half, only to be denied by a near-post save from Sergio Herrera.
4 – Top 5 youngest foreign players to debut with Real Madrid in LaLiga:
Martin Ødegaard in 2015 (16y, 157d)Samuel Eto’o in 1998 (17y, 270d)FRANCO MASTANTUONO in 2025 (18y, 5d)Endrick in 2024 (18y, 35d)Juan Esnáider in 1991 (18y, 67d)
Diamond. pic.twitter.com/rsL0XIin1N
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) August 19, 2025
Speaking to Movistar after the game, Alonso said: “The four debutants were not weighed down by the Bernabeu.
“They had solid performances, perhaps not spectacular, but their nerves did not weigh them down.
“I could already see that Franco could contribute. He has prepared well even though he has not been able to train with us.
“We have to prepare for the next one, but as a start, I can take away a lot of positive things.”
Madrid go to newly promoted Real Oviedo for their second game of the campaign on Sunday, having joined Barcelona in making a winning start to 2025-26.
And Alonso feels they have a solid foundation to build on, adding: “I’m left with things that we had worked on that went well, and things that we lack. It will give us stability to continue our work.
“It wasn’t easy. Osasuna were very deep and we perhaps lacked some freshness. We will learn because we are going to find more of these games.
“This first game as Madrid coach at home was special, I will not forget it. It is the first of many. How this new Bernabeu sounds… you anticipate what we could do here and it’s exciting.”
