Barcelona comfortably defeated Osasuna 2-0 in a home game on Thursday. This win extends their lead in La Liga to three points as they head into a crucial weekend in the closely contested title race.
The goals came early in the match, with Ferran Torres scoring in the 11th minute. Dani Olmo doubled the lead with a penalty just ten minutes later, putting Barcelona in control. Despite missing key players Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha, who were returning from international duty, Barcelona dominated the game, outshooting Osasuna 19 to three and preventing any shots on their own goal. Lewandowski later came off the bench and scored the team`s third goal in the 77th minute.
This match was originally scheduled earlier in the month but was postponed due to the passing of Barcelona`s team doctor, Carles Minarro Garcia. This is why the game was played shortly after the international break.
Key Moment of the Match
Barcelona established their dominance early with Torres` goal in the 11th minute. It was a well-coordinated team play, highlighting their fluent attacking style this season. Alejandro Balde deserves credit for his excellent cross that set up Torres for an easy close-range finish.
Player of the Match
Besides scoring the opening goal, Ferran Torres was active throughout his 68 minutes on the field. He had four shots and an expected goals (xG) value of 1.18, contributing significantly to the team`s total xG of 3.19. He demonstrated his value as a strong attacking option, even with Lewandowski and Raphinha absent from the starting lineup.
Implications for Barcelona
Barcelona has now played the same number of matches as their La Liga rivals and holds a three-point advantage over Real Madrid, who are in second place. Their lead over Atletico Madrid is seven points with only 10 games remaining in the season.
What`s Next
Barcelona will continue their La Liga campaign on Sunday against Girona, who are currently 13th in the league. Following that, they will play the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-finals against Atletico Madrid, after a 4-4 draw in the first leg in February.
Dominic Ashworth