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Real Madrid scrape past Osasuna | The Express Tribune
MADRID:
Kylian Mbappe struck from the penalty spot as Real Madrid beat a dogged Osasuna 1-0 on Tuesday to make a winning start in La Liga under new coach Xabi Alonso.
The France striker, last season’s European Golden Shoe winner, scored early in the second half after he was fouled in the area by Osasuna defender Juan Cruz.
It was enough to seal the points in Alonso’s first game in charge at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Madrid now unbeaten in their opening fixture of a league campaign since 2008.
Trent Alexander-Arnold made his La Liga debut after his move from Liverpool, with former Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen and left-back Alvaro Carreras other summer arrivals included in the starting line-up.
Madrid though were without England midfielder Jude Bellingham, who is expected to be sidelined until October as he recovers from a operation to solve a recurrent shoulder issue.
Madrid are looking to turn the page on a disappointing end to the Carlo Ancelotti era after relinquishing both their domestic and European crowns last season.
Alonso’s side had to show patience against an Osasuna team that finished ninth last term, with the hosts largely restricted to long-range efforts from centre-backs Huijsen and Eder Militao in the first half.
Osasuna goalkeeper Sergio Herrera was equal to both, while Mbappe failed to connect cleanly after being picked out by Vinicius Junior before he curled another shot wide as Madrid struggled to break down their opponents.
But Mbappe grabbed the only goal six minutes after half-time after he went down following a clumsy challenge by Cruz as he tried to cut past the defender.
Mbappe, who was La Liga’s top scorer with 31 goals in his first season in Spain, got up and running for the new campaign as he sent Herrera the wrong way from the spot.
Alonso handed 18-year-old Argentine winger Franco Mastantuono his debut midway through the second half as Madrid controlled the game and seldom looked troubled.
Ante Budimir headed over in a rare opportunity for Osasuna and Mastantuono was denied late on by Herrera.
Osasuna finished the match with 10 men with Abel Bretones sent off in stoppage time for throwing an arm to block the run of Gonzalo Garcia.
Twenty men have been charged in a point-shaving scheme involving more than 39 college basketball players on more than 17 NCAA Division I teams, leading to more than 29 games being fixed, according to a federal indictment unsealed Thursday in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Fifteen of the defendants played college basketball during the 2023-24 and/or 2024-25 seasons, according to the indictment. Some have played this season. Two of the players named in the indictment, Cedquavious Hunter and Dyquavian Short, were sanctioned in November by the NCAA for fixing New Orleans games.
At least two of the defendants, Shane Hennen and Marves Fairley, were also charged in a federal indictment in the Eastern District of New York centered on gambling schemes in the NBA.
Former NBA player Antonio Blakeney was named but not charged in the indictment. The indictment describes Blakeney as being “charged elsewhere.”
The scheme, according to the indictment, began around September 2022 and initially was focused on fixing games in the Chinese Basketball Association. The group later targeted college basketball games, offering bribes to college players ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 to compromise games for betting purposes, according to the indictment.
“In placing these wagers on games they had fixed, the defendants defrauded sportsbooks, as well as individual sports bettors, who were all unaware that the defendants had corruptly manipulated the outcome of these games that should have been decided fairly, based on genuine competition and the best efforts of the players,” the indictment said.
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USAA on Thursday announced the three finalists for the NFL’s Salute to Service Award, and a dynasty in San Francisco could be on the rise.
After 49ers star George Kittle took home the award last year, Christian McCaffrey is among three finalists for the league’s award, along with Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson and Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones as the finalists — Jones was a finalist last year, as well.
“The finalists for the 15th Annual Salute to Service Award presented by USAA have used their platforms to be exceptional advocates for the military community, reminding us that service doesn’t stop when the uniform comes off,” Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Bob Whittle, Senior Vice President and Head of Military Affairs at USAA, said in a release.
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Christian McCaffrey, Jake Ferguson and Aaron Jones are this year’s Salute to Service Award finalists. (, G Fiume, and John Fisher/Getty Images)
“The NFL and USAA applaud Jake Ferguson, Aaron Jones, and Christian McCaffrey as deserving finalists who have demonstrated exactly what the award stands for — using the power of football to connect with, empower, appreciate and uplift our service members, veterans and their families.”
McCaffrey launched 23 and Troops in 2021 to focus on post-traumatic stress and athlete-level care for veterans. The foundation has raised $700,000 for military support and paid off holiday layaway for 515 military families.
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) celebrates his touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, in Santa Clara, California. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Ferguson has partnered with USAA to visit local military bases and supported the National Medal of Honor Museum, including an event in 2024 in which 900 students joined in person and thousands more virtually.
Jones grew up in a military household. His father, Alvin, served 29 years in the Army, while his mother, Vurgess, served for 27. Jones’ older brother, Xavier, serves in the Air Force. Jones and his twin brother, Alvin Jr., founded the A&A All the Way Foundation in 2020 to support the youth of military families.
The winner will be announced at NFL Honors in San Francisco on Feb. 5, the same night the MVP, Offensive and Defensive Players and Rookies, and Coach of the Year will be crowned.
George Kittle of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates after a touchdown with Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers during the fourth quarter in the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Levi’s Stadium on Dec. 10, 2023, in Santa Clara, California. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
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Whittle and Kittle will be among those on the judging panel for the award.
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Monday night’s game featuring hometown Miami and championship-starved Indiana is one of the toughest tickets in sports.
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