Vinicius Junior was back on the score sheet for Real Madrid on Saturday, but the Brazilian was not able to prevent the Spanish league leader from falling to a surprise 2-1 loss to Osasuna.
In a week when the Brazilian accused an opponent of racially insulting him in a Champions League match, he showed that the fallout from the incident has not impacted his form with his fifth goal in four games.
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Real Madrid's goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois reacts during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Osasuna and Real Madrid in Pamplona, Spain, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)
Osasuna's goalkeeper Sergio Herrera celebrates at the end of the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Osasuna and Real Madrid in Pamplona, Spain, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)
Osasuna's Raul Garcia celebrates with his teammates after scoring his side's second goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Osasuna and Real Madrid in Pamplona, Spain, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)
Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior reacts during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Osasuna and Real Madrid in Pamplona, Spain, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)
But defeat for Madrid delivered a blow to its title pursuit, handing second-place Barcelona the chance to move to the top of the standings by beating Levante on Sunday.
UEFA is investigating after Vinicius accused Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni of calling him “monkey” following his outstanding goal in Madrid's 1-0 win against Benfica in the Champions League playoffs on Tuesday. The forward was on target again and looked to have at least salvaged a point for Madrid with his goal in the 73rd at Osasuna, leveling the game after Ante Budimir’s first-half penalty had given the home team the lead.
But any thoughts of a Madrid comeback were ended by Raul Garcia's 90th-minute winner.
Garcia showed quick feet to turn in the box and sweep a shot past Thibaut Courtois from a tight angle.
Madrid is two points clear of second-place Barca, having played a game more.
Real Sociedad drew 3-3 with last-place Real Oviedo after a wild finish at Estadio Municipal de Anoeta.
Oviedo took control of the match with two quick goals after halftime from Federico Vinas, who scored with headers in the 50th and 52nd minutes.
Orri Oskarsson started the fightback for Sociedad with a powerful header in the 64th and Duje Caleta-Car headed in another to level in the 87th.
Oskarsson scored his second of the match with a clinical finish to give the home side the lead in the 90th — but the drama wasn't done.
In the second minute of added time Eric Bailly leveled the game again to rescue a point for Oviedo.
Even then there was still time for Goncalo Guedes to hit the post in 99th.
Fifth-place Real Betis could lose ground in the race for Champions League qualification after a 1-1 draw with Rayo Vallecano.
Isi Palazon's goal in the 42nd cancelled out Cedric Bakambu's opener for Betis.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Real Madrid's goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois reacts during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Osasuna and Real Madrid in Pamplona, Spain, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)
Osasuna's goalkeeper Sergio Herrera celebrates at the end of the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Osasuna and Real Madrid in Pamplona, Spain, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)
Osasuna's Raul Garcia celebrates with his teammates after scoring his side's second goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Osasuna and Real Madrid in Pamplona, Spain, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)
Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior reacts during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Osasuna and Real Madrid in Pamplona, Spain, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)
LECCE, Italy (AP) — Substitutes Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Manuel Akanji scored late for Inter Milan to stretch its Serie A lead to 10 points with an unspectacular 2-0 win at Lecce on Saturday.
Both players were sent on for the last half hour. Mkhitaryan was left unmarked at the far post to score from Federico Dimarco’s corner in the 75th minute, and Akanji headed in from another corner in the 82nd.
“We knew they would drop off physically in the second half, and we did well to keep pushing,” Mkhitaryan said.
Dimarco thought he’d scored after the break but the goal was ruled out after a VAR check found Marcus Thuram was offside. Dimarco later had another effort to seal the win cleared off the line before he took the corner for Akanji's goal.
Inter was without star players Lautaro Martínez and Hakan Çalhanoğlu.
“Sometimes we produce our best in big matches, other times we don’t,” Akanji said. “But there aren’t two different versions of Inter. Yes, we lost to Bodø/Glimt last time out in the Champions League, but we’re still the same team capable of great things.”
Inter lost 3-1 to Bodø/Glimt in the first leg of their Champions League playoff. The Norwegian tournament upstart visits Milan for the second leg on Tuesday.
Inter’s seventh consecutive league win moved it 10 points clear of AC Milan before its city rival hosts Parma on Sunday.
Juventus’ damaging week continued with a 2-0 loss at home to Como that dents the Italian power’s hopes of Champions League qualification.
The defeat comes days after the Bianconeri’s 5-2 loss at Galatasaray in the first leg of the playoffs in this season’s Champions League. Juventus welcomes the Turkish team for the second leg on Wednesday.
Mërgim Vojvoda scored early for Como with a shot that Michele Di Gregorio should have saved after getting his arm to ball. The chance came about after Juventus’ Weston McKennie lost the ball in midfield.
There were whistles from frustrated Juve fans at the break, and it didn’t get any better for their team after the restart.
Lucas da Cunha broke through to set up Maxence Caqueret for Como’s second in the 61st.
It's Juventus' third straight defeat across all competitions and its fifth game in a row without a win.
“We made too many mistakes today. There were a number of moments where we created the problems for ourselves, and the pressure kicked in and affected us. The qualities we’ve shown haven’t disappeared, but now we can’t recognize them,” Juve coach Luciano Spalletti said. “We’re lacking a bit of cohesion, a bit of tenacity. We need to take the initiative.”
Spalletti's team remained fifth, a point behind Roma before the capital club hosts Cremonese on Sunday. Como stayed sixth, a point behind Juve. Only the top four qualify for Europe’s premier competition.
Lazio was to visit Cagliari for the late game.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Lecce's Walid Cheddira, right, and Inter's Alessandro Bastoni in action during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Lecce and Inter Milan in Lecce, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (Giovanni Evangelista/LaPresse via AP)
Lecce's Tiago Gabriel, left, and Inter's Andy Diouf in action during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Lecce and Inter Milan in Lecce, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (Giovanni Evangelista/LaPresse via AP)
Juventus' Teun Koopmeiners, left, fights for the ball with Como's Maxence Caqueret during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Como in Turin, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (Marco Alpozzi/dpa via AP)
Juventus' Andrea Cambiaso, left, fights for the ball with Como's Mergim Voivode during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Como in Turin, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (Marco Alpozzi/dpa via AP)
Juventus' Manuel Locatelli, right, fights for the ball with Como's Lucas Da Cunha during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Como in Turin, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse via AP)
Juventus' Kenan Yildiz, right, fights for the ball with Como's Lucas Da Cunha during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Como in Turin, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse via AP)
Juventus' Kenan Yildiz fights for the ball with Como's Jacobo Ramon, right, during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Como in Turin, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. (Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse via AP)
