Osasuna 2-2 Barcelona: Match Review

A massive clash at El Sadar stood ahead of Xavi’s Barcelona. The Catalan side were on a losing streak heading into the clash and urgently needed to end the negative spell to keep morale high.

The manager opted to make wholesale changes to the side that faced Bayern Munich midweek. Memphis Depay’s absence meant that Luuk de Jong got a first start under Xavi. Meanwhile, Samuel Umtiti and Ez Abde received starts.

The game was end to end, but predominantly under the visitors control. Barcelona commandingly held onto possession, and dominated large spells of the fixture. It was was a night to remember for the youngsters, while the same cannot be said about the veteran participants.

The game started under the visitors control with Nico, Gavi and Abde being the protagonists. Unsurprisingly, it was two of the youngsters who combined to open the scoring for the Blaugranas. In just the 13th minute, Gavi opened up the Osasuna defence with a lovely pass that was controlled and slotted away by Nico.

The joy did not last long however, as the hosts equalised almost immediately. The equaliser came via a setpiece as David Garcia headed in a powerful strike off a well taken free-kick.

Barcelona once again dominated possession after the scores tied, but the five man defense proved too strong to penetrate. The first half ended 1-1, with the Catalans dominating the proceedings.

The second period followed suit for a large part. The hosts comfortably defended deep while threatening on the counter. Meanwhile, Xavi’s side actively looked for openings. Barcelona went ahead four minutes after resumption of play via a controversial goal.

The ball struck Busquets’ arm during the buildup, triggering penalty shouts from the Osasuna players. The cleared ball, however, found its way to Ousmane Dembele who connected with Abde in the box. The sequence ended in a goal for the Catalans, as the teenager fired a volley into the top corner.

The Catalans threatened to score during most of the second half with Luuk de Jong and Abde coming close on many occassions. Yet, the tables turned just minutes before the full-time whistle.

Osasuna’s second equaliser on the night stemmed from a penalty and created havoc in the Barcelona area. The resultant ball fell at the feel of Chimy Avila who unleashed a wonderful strike to beat ter Stegen.

The game ended 2-2, with Xavi’s side dropping 2 points. With the defeat, Barcelona seen set to experience a deeper fall in the league table.

Full time: Osasuna 2-2 Barcelona