2024-01-31
Barcelona took a breather after a difficult few days with a 1-0 win over Osasuna this Wednesday in the 20th round of the Spanish championship, which was postponed due to the participation of both teams in the Spanish Super Cup.
Youngster Vitor Roque, who recently arrived at Barca this winter, made his debut as the scorer (63) to unseat Barca in a match where Osasuna finished with ten thanks to Unai Garcia's (67) dismissal for a double warning.
The sweet win gives Barcelona a breath of fresh air just days after coach Xavi Hernandez announced last Saturday that he would be leaving the team at the end of the season.
Xavi hoped his announcement would help his players play with less tension and take a small step towards the leader of the standings, which is occupied by Girona, who are eight points behind the Blaugranas in their first meeting.
Barca reclaim third place in the league while waiting to see what Atletico de Madrid do on Wednesday night.
– Ferran's Injury –
The match started with bad news for Barcelona when Ferran Torres was injured after seven minutes.
The Barca winger sat on the ground after noticing a problem with his right thigh and Fermin had to be replaced, so Barca watched as their hospital was overflowing.
Barcelona controlled the ball again, but with a flat game lacking pace, their extensive possessions failed to make a dent in a well-established Red defense in the first half.
Barca took the lead through Robert Lewandowski's header (11).
The Polish striker had some great chances but couldn't find a way through on goal, although he was ruled out for offside (79).
The main chances for Barca in the first half came from balls from the wings and set pieces that found the heads of Kante or Lewandowski.
– Vitor Roque appears –
Osasuna tried to create danger with quick counter-attacks, but in the first half it did not trouble the goal, which was defended by Inaki Pena.
Barcelona gave a serious point after the break, giving momentum to its rotation.
Youngster Lamin Yamal gave the first warning when he hunted down a loose ball in the area but his shot was saved by goalkeeper Aitor Fernandez (47).
Yamal was once again one of the most unbalanced in his team, taking the lead after Vitor Roque came on for Fermin (62).
After being Barca's only partner this transfer window, the Brazilian was never on the pitch for a minute, slotting home Joao Cancelo's (63) cross at the near post to mark his debut in a Barca shirt.
In favor of the score, Barcelona also had numerical superiority with Raul Garcia (66) being sent off for a double caution.
