Copa del Rey: Brawl breaks out between Real Madrid, Osasuna players

Real Madrid defeated Osasuna 2-1 to claim their 20th Copa del Rey title at the Estadio de La Cartuja on Saturday night. The battle was intense on the pitch, but it has been revealed that the players allowed the tension to spill over into the tunnel.

It was a nightmare start for Osasuna, who were seeking a major upset in order to claim their first ever Copa del Rey title. It did not seem impossible considering Real Madrid's results in recent weeks against "weaker" teams in La Liga. However, Los Blancos stamped their authority early in the match by scoring inside the opening two minutes.

Brazilian youngsters Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Goes, both only 22 years old, teamed up to overcome the Osasuna defence. The former danced through the defenders before setting up his teammate, and the latter fired into the back of the net with the decisive prowess and confidence of someone who has already scored a number of important goals for his team despite his young age.

The early goal gave Real Madrid the advantage, but that also meant that Osasuna had plenty of time to fight back. They clearly did not let the deficit demoralise them, and if anything, they even levelled up their intensity.

The match became extremely physical, with the referee having to wave the match on even with players on the ground. The clashes resulted in two yellow cards on both sides, and Vini Jr. was visibly one of the most frustrated players. Osasuna players had to fight hard to stop him, with the Brazilian complaining numerous times about being tackled too harshly.

On the contrary, the defenders were equally frustrated as they complained about how "easily" Vinicius hit the grass on some occasions.

Tempers were flaring on both sides, and as the players filed into the tunnel at the break, arguments flared up and Vinicius had to be restrained by at least two of his teammates. Moi Gomez was also seen appearing to hold back Osasuna players.

It is unclear if the conflict actually came to blows, but some stills from the tunnel shared by ESPN showed that things could have gotten worse if several people did not step in to defuse the situation.

Osasuna came back with a vengeance

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois felt the intentions of the Navarrese side in the first half, and they definitely came back with guns blazing in the second half. Not long after the restart, Abde Ezzalzouli beat Courtois and with the ball heading towards an open goal, Dani Carvajal came to the rescue to clear the ball before it crossed the line.

At the other end, David Alaba tried to extend the lead with a free-kick, but it was no problem for Osasuna keeper Sergio Herrera. Vini Jr. continued to pose a threat every time he touched the ball, but it was Osasuna who found the breakthrough.

In the 58th minute, Barcelona loanee Abde provided the cross that Lucas Torrodid not hesitate to fire through across a mangle of players in the box and straight into the corner of the net.The equaliser meant that it was game on, and the match was wide open.

Real Madrid's youngsters take charge

As the clock ticked, both sides looked nervous as they started to think about their plans if the match went into extra time. However, Vinicius and Rodrygo wanted to end the night early and they teamed up again to create a goal that was almost a copy of the one they jointly manufactured at the start of the match.

Rodrygo put Los Blancos back in the lead in the 70th minute and even manager Carlo Ancelotti could not hold back his delight. The oftentimes stoic boss pumped both his fists as he saw his future flash before his eyes. After a wildly successful 2021-22 season, Real Madrid had been under immense pressure this year. With a dismal performance in La Liga, they badly needed to win the Copa del Rey.

Both Vinicius and Karim Benzema worked hard to get their names on the scoreboard, but in the end it was well and truly Rodrigo's night.

It was also worth noting that Luka Modric came in for Toni Kroos in the closing five minutes. Coming off an injury, the minutes played would help the Croatian determine his fitness level as they prepare to face Manchester City in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-finals on Tuesday.

Five minutes of stoppage was given, and Osasuna fought hard until the end. Real Madrid had to use every ounce of determination and concentration to keep the lead, and the final whistle came with a huge sigh of relief.

This is Real Madrid's first Copa del Rey title since 2014, but instead of massive celebrations, the squad will head straight back to work to prepare to resume their Champions League title defence.