Three takeaways from Osasuna 2-2 Barcelona

A depleted Barcelona side faced off against Osasuna at El Sadar on Sunday. The game ended in a stalemate but had no dearth of action. Though Barcelona dominated the play, for the most part, the Pamplona outfit did enough to cause the visitors trouble repeatedly.

With two further points dropped, Xavi’s side sit on the edge of the top half of the table. The last three games have gone winless for Barcelona, but one cannot deny the positive changes seen. Here are three talking points from Barcelona’s 2-2 draw to Osasuna.

1. A night to remember for the youth

If one were to choose a silver lining from Barcelona poor start to the season, it would undoubtedly be the solid performances from the teenage players. The club possesses some of Europe’s finest pedigree on its roster, and they continue to impress day after day.

Gavi and Nico have become an indispensable part of the Catalan midfield, especially in the absence of Pedri. The astronomical rise of the duo has seen them become an indispensable part of the side. On Sunday, they once again showed why they are so highly rated.

The first goal of the night came courtesy of a brilliant interplay between the two teenage sensations. The 17-year-old Gavi split the Osasuna defence with ease to find his compatriot Nico, who converted emphatically.

The second goal of the night came for another of Barcelona’s young talents, Ez Abde. The winger was in devastating form on the night, toying around with defenders and dribbling seamlessly.

He was rewarded for his effort in the 49th minute when Ousmane Dembele’s cross found him unmarked in the box. The youngster skillfully volleyed it into the top corner to put Barcelona ahead for the second time.

Apart from the goals, there is a lot to take away from the teenagers at the club. Gavi’s stubborn pressure, Nico’s magical control and distribution, Abde’s skill and guile on the ball are all significant for a club in transition. Needless to say, it was a day to remember for the young core of Barcelona.

2. Suspect strategies from Xavi

Given a severely depleted squad at his disposal, Xavi had the pressure to innovate to bring the best out of it. He chose to go with a very Marcelo Bielsa-esque 3-3-1-3. However, with Luuk de Jong leading the line, it did not have all the firepower one desires.

Consequently, there was a lot of chaos in the middle of the park, with the teams pinballing through the midfield. Gavi and Nico, as good as they were, were often stuck in a storm of nothingness as neither of Ez Abde and Ousmane Dembele provided an outlet.

Further, Xavi’s substitutions left a lot to be desired on the night. He brought on Oscar Mingueza for Nico when the scoreline read 1-2. In a game that was pretty much dominated by the midfield, subbing off the Spaniard gave Osasuna a lot of space to work with.

Further, he chose to bring on Philippe Coutinho instead of Yusuf Demir for Ousmane Dembele when it was clear that the game needed pace.

As a young coach, Xavi has a lot to learn, and hopefully, his mistakes yesternight go a long way.

3. Barcelona crumble under pressure…again

The script with Barcelona this season has been largely predictable. Irrespective of whether the team lead or trail in the first 80 minutes, the last phase of the game has proved to be too much pressure for the players to handle.

Time and time again, Barcelona have conceded in the dying minutes. Quite clearly, the problem is psychological. Just as in the game against Celta Vigo, where they conceded a last-minute equaliser, the Catalans let the game at El Sadar slip away in the closing minutes once again.

Xavi has acknowledged that the side need to work on the mental aspect of the game. However, that is a lengthy process. In the meantime, the manager must find a temporary plug to the problem denying the team three points every week.