3 Barcelona players who performed and 2 who underperformed against Osasuna | La Liga 2022-23
Looking to extend their lead at the summit, Barcelona traveled to Osasuna for their La Liga matchday 14 clash on Tuesday night (November 8).
The Catalans, who started the match two points clear of second-placed Real Madrid, secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory away from home, stretching their lead to five points. Pedri and Raphinha found the back of the net for 10-man Barca after David Garcia put the hosts in the driving seat in the first half.
The Blaugrana endured a nervy start to the game at the El Sadar Stadium. The hosts pressed Barca hard and kept winning possession in dangerous areas. After enduring insurmountable pressure for six odd minutes, Barcelona went behind courtesy of Garcia’s thumping header from a corner.
In the 15th minute, Osasuna came close to doubling their advantage after Moi Gomez played Ezequiel Avila through down the left flank. The forward did well to get his shot away but could not hit the target, lashing against the side-netting instead.
On the half-hour mark, Robert Lewandowski deservedly picked up his second yellow of the night following his blatant foul on Garcia. Reduced to 10 men, Barcelona somehow saw out the remainder 15 minutes of the first half to go into the break trailing by a solitary goal. At half-time, unused substitute Gerard Pique was sent off for dissent, marking a rather unique end to his legendary Barca career.
FUUUUUTBOL CLUUUB BARCELONAAAAAAA https://t.co/e9IaopPEVj
The Catalans, who were left with a mountain to climb in the second half, proved their intent merely three minutes after the restart. Star midfielder Pedri made the most of the confusion inside the Osasuna box to pop up with a well-taken goal.
Twenty minutes after going behind, Osasuna tested Marc-Andre ter Stegen, with Avila going for goal from a long way out. He caught the ball cleanly, but the German goalkeeper had it under control. Barca finally completed their turnaround in the 85th minute, with substitute Raphinha popping up with a stunning header.
It was not a classic Barcelona display by any means, but a group of spirited individuals ensured they ruled the La Liga standings over the World Cup break. Here are three Barca players who impressed and two who disappointed in their victory over Osasuna on Tuesday:
Performed: Raphinha
Introduced in Ousmane Dembele’s place in the 78th minute, Raphinha made a telling impact on the scoreline on Tuesday. The Brazilian superbly connected with Frenkie de Jong’s delivery from deep to send the ball looping over the keeper’s head.
El pase artístico de Frenkie de Jong, el magistral cabezazo de Raphinha. GOLAZO CULÉ. https://t.co/IwQpWKcdch
In addition to scoring the winner, Raphinha completed a dribble, played a key pass, delivered an accurate long ball, and won two ground duels. He also drew a foul and performed a clearance during his decisive 17-minute cameo.
Underperformed: Sergio Busquets
Xavi once again gave his former teammate Sergio Busquets the responsibility of maintaining the game’s tempo. Unfortunately for the Blaugrana, Busquets was no match for the frantic Osasuna, easily getting bypassed and brushed aside by their courageous attackers. Busquets was also partially at fault for Garcia’s opener, with him failing miserably to mark him inside the Barcelona box.
How can we ALL see that Busquets should have his playing time massively reduced, yet Xavi can't? Not like he doesn't know football. Just a weird blind spot.
The veteran central midfielder had a game to forget against Osasuna, with him losing three of four ground duels, ceding possession 12 times, and getting dribbled past on one occasion. He also made an error, which led to a shot by the hosts.
Performed: Frenkie de Jong
Frenkie de Jong played on the left side of Barca’s three-man midfield on Tuesday night. He superbly moved the ball around, created space for the attackers to barge into, held his ground in one-on-one situations, and superbly assisted Raphinha’s winner. From his own half, the Dutchman read the positioning of Osasuna’s backline and delivered an inch-perfect lobbed through ball to find Raphinha.
- Bossed the midfield.
- Assisted the winning goal playing as a centre-back.
Frenkie de Jong, pillar of the 10-men comeback. https://t.co/vTjOfTtIXi
Against Osasuna, De Jong made 59 accurate passes (86.8% accuracy), played three key passes, delivered two accurate long balls, and sent an accurate cross. He also won three duels, completed two clearances, and made an interception.
Underperformed: Robert Lewandowski
Robert Lewandowski’s foul on Garcia in the 30th minute was nothing short of shambolic. He very carelessly and needlessly flailed his arms about, which led to his elbow on the Osasuna goalscorer. The former Bayern Munich man protested but must have known that he was in the wrong there.
Robert Lewandowski is sent off in the first half against Osasuna after picking up two yellow cards in 19 minutes 👋 https://t.co/pfp7PzeTjS
Before getting an embarrassing double yellow, Lewandowski had one shot on target, lost three of four duels, and lost possession five times.
Performed: Pedri
Barcelona’s golden boy Pedri led by example when his team needed him on Tuesday. He covered every blade of grass at Osasuna, sprayed inviting balls from deep, and did ever so well to score Barca’s equalizer. Pedri tracked the trajectory of Jordi Alba’s deflected low-cross, set himself up, and side-footed it into the back of the net.
Pedri’s got to shoot more often, man. The kid can strike them, even that finish was so cleaver. He was the keeper naturally drifting towards his far post, and drilled it past the other way - excellent composure!
The goal aside, the Spaniard delivered three accurate long balls, won five of seven ground duels, and drew two fouls. Additionally, Pedri cleared the ball once and attempted three tackles, winning two.