Barcelona Dominates Osasuna to Strengthen La Liga Title Pursuit
Barcelona continued their impressive form in La Liga with a commanding 3-0 victory over Osasuna, moving three points clear at the top of the table. Despite facing discontent over the rescheduling of the match to Thursday, the Catalans showcased their dominance, extending their unbeaten run to 19 matches across all competitions.
Ferran Torres opened the scoring after just 11 minutes, capitalizing on a swift move led by Frenkie de Jong. The young forward darted in to finish a low cross from Alejandro Balde, putting Barcelona in control early on. Dani Olmo doubled the lead midway through the first half after his initial penalty was saved, only for the referee to order a retake due to encroachment by an Osasuna player. This time, Olmo converted with confidence.
Robert Lewandowski, who started on the bench, came on in the second half to add to the tally, nodding in from a Fermin Lopez cross. This goal marked his 23rd of the season, solidifying his position as the leading scorer in La Liga.
Barcelona’s head coach, Hansi Flick, expressed satisfaction with the result but voiced concern over Olmo’s injury, stating, “We have three points more, but we paid a really high price with the injury of Dani. We don’t know how long he will be out, but if it’s two weeks, he’ll miss a lot of games.”
The match had originally been scheduled for March 8 but was postponed following the death of a Barcelona club doctor. Some players, including French international Jules Kounde, had just played 120 minutes for their national teams before this crucial game, leading to frustration. Kounde remarked, “It’s a lack of respect to the club to select this date. We’re not machines and need rest to perform.”
Despite the scheduling issues, Barcelona controlled the game, with midfield maestro Pedri Gonzalez orchestrating play throughout. Torres nearly added a fourth with a free-kick that struck the crossbar, but the team was content to manage their lead in the second half.
With this victory, Barcelona has created some distance between themselves and their closest rivals, Real Madrid, while Osasuna continues to struggle, having gone seven games without a win. Osasuna’s Ruben Garcia acknowledged the team’s poor form, stating, “We faced a team that rolled over the top of us; we have to recognize that and try to do better.”
As the title race heats up, Barcelona will look to maintain their momentum in the upcoming Catalan derby against Girona, while Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid face their own challenges this weekend.
