Real Madrid were on the receiving end of a 1-0 win against Osasuna in their opening match of the 2025/26 La Liga campaign on August 19, at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
Following a goalless first half, Los Blancos’ victory came with Kylian Mbappe successfully converting a penalty in the 51st minute.
Along with the victory, an impressive stat has surfaced, which was achieved by Real Madrid’s new summer signing, Dean Huijsen. The 20-year-old arrived at Santiago Bernabeu from Premier League side Bournemouth on a five-year contract in May.
In his La Liga debut last night, Huijsen, an outfield player, made 15+ accurate long balls, 17 (16) to be exact. The last two times someone achieved this feat in the Spanish League were by Real Madrid legend Toni Kroos in February this year.
🎯 Last 3 times an outfield player made 15+ accurate long balls in La Liga:
— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) August 20, 2025
• Toni Kroos, Feb 2024 – 16/18 long balls.
• Toni Kroos, Feb 2024 – 18/21 long balls.
• DEAN HUIJSEN, Aug 2025 – 16/17 long balls.
🇩🇪🇪🇸@SofascoreINT pic.twitter.com/qXr79PQ4sq
Kroos announced his retirement from football in May, concluding his illustrious decade-long journey with Real Madrid. He won a total of 22 trophies at Los Blancos, including four league titles and five Champions League titles.
Huijsen’s new stat against Osasuna in La Liga has led to fans drawing comparisons between the Juventus graduate and Kroos.
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What are fans saying about new Real Madrid signing Dean Huijsen?
After Huijsen’s stats from last night surfaced on social media, most fans went on to heap praise on the defender. While some referred to him as Kroos’ ‘regen,’ some hailed him to be an ideal replacement for the German maestro.
Here are some of the fans' posts on X (formerly Twitter):
We have our Toni Kroos in defence.
— 𝙰𝚍𝚎𝚡 𝙱𝚎𝚛𝚗𝚊𝚋é𝚞💥⚽ (@MzterAdex) August 19, 2025
Xabi Alonso’s Kroos. https://t.co/E7K3PKAZDR pic.twitter.com/4wy2yvUNnS
— Daniel (@danieIscouting) August 19, 2025
Dean Kroos Huijsen, I can’t believe we found a CB version of Toni. pic.twitter.com/MKmyIXuAp8
— WolfRMFC (@WolfRMFC) August 20, 2025
Huijsen and Real Madrid are set to face Real Oviedo in their next La Liga clash on August 24 at Carlos Tartiere Stadium.
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- Real Madrid grind out season-opening win over Osasuna as Mbappe scores