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Barcelona extended their lead in La Liga to 14 points provisionally last night with a 2-1 win over Osasuna away at El Sadar.
The Catalans did not dish out their brightest performance, but they gradually wore down the hosts’ defence and earned goals via Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres.
Playing without Lamine Yamal and Raphinha, the team lacked the cutting edge or creative presence on the field. However, the much-valued win now leaves them within touching distance of the league title.
Barça Universal brings you three takeaways from Osasuna 1-2 Barcelona.
A largely dull affair
Barcelona’s league campaign this season is more dominant than their title-winning run last season, but there is one stark difference between the two.
The side is more consistent in the competition this season and has learnt the art of winning without necessarily playing the most attractive football.
In recent weeks, they have ground out hard-fought wins and last night was no different.
For close to 70 minutes on the night, Barcelona’s performance was nothing exciting and presented a rather dull and slow affair, with Osasuna playing as equals.
The Catalans did maintain more possession, but nothing meaningful came of that dominance in the entire first half.
There was no incisive passing, exciting dribbling or opening up of channels against the Espanyol defence.
Needless to say, Lamine Yamal and Raphinha’s absence had a massive part to play in how dull the team looked in attack and the game last night made it clear how vital both players are to Barcelona’s attack.
Getting the job done without them, in that sense, is massive for Barcelona but it is also clear that the team look unrecognisable without them on the field.
Flick’s game-changing substitutions
Ferran Torres made an impact from the bench. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)
Hansi Flick’s starting lineup against Osasuna saw Roony Bardghji and Fermin Lopez start as the wingers, Dani Olmo as the attacking midfielder and Robert Lewandowski as a striker.
The combination, however, did not have any effective inroad into the Osasuna defence.
At the hour mark, however, the manager decided to bring on fresh feet to add speed to his team’s play.
Given that the Osasuna defence was already tired, the plan worked like a charm, but what was notable was the tactical game Flick played with his changes.
Instead of deploying Rashford on the left wing, where he usually plays, the manager asked the Englishman to play on the right wing in place of Bardghji.
Fermin Lopez was brought in as the central midfielder, while Ferran Torres played on the left wing.
Notably, both goals on the night had to do with the substitutes in their new roles and how Osasuna were not prepared for such a tweak.
Rashford was left completely unmarked on the right flank for his cross to Robert Lewandowski in Barcelona’s opening goal and he continually created a threat on the flank with his dribbles and crosses.
Ferran, on the left, also served as a similar unexpected menace for Osasuna as he made a run into space and slotted the ball into the back of the net for the second goal.
Flick’s changes, thus, were on point once again and game-changing both in terms of the personnel and tactical changes.
One step away
Barcelona are only a few steps away from winning the title. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)
Barcelona’s win at El Sadar last night only tightens the team’s grip on the La Liga title which may not yet be theirs yet but is certainly theirs to lose.
With the win last night, Flick’s men move to 88 points after 34 games in the competition and they have only four games yet to play in the competition. Their nearest competitors, Real Madrid, are 14 points behind with a game in hand.
Los Blancos play Espanyol away from home later today and face a must-win situation to keep the title race alive. Should they slip up with even just a draw, the trophy will officially be Barcelona’s.
At this point, Barcelona are just two points away from the title and any slip-up from Real Madrid tonight will see them crowned champions. Even if Real Madrid win, a draw in El Clasico or two points in the next four games will seal the deal.
All eyes, thus, will be on the game between Real Madrid and Espanyol later today to see if the title is decided before or during El Clasico.
For Barcelona now, it only seems to be a matter of time before the inevitable championship is announced.
