FC Barcelona extends its smile to the break
The Blaugrana team recovered from Lewandowski’s expulsion after half an hour to come back from Osasuna and score three important points
MADRID, 8 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
FC Barcelona made sure to go to the break for the Qatar World Cup as the sole leader of LaLiga Santander 2022-2023 after taking another valuable away victory this Tuesday by beating Osasuna 1-2 at El Sadar, despite playing with ten more of an hour due to the expulsion of Robert Lewandowski and thanks to a goal from Raphinha in the 85th minute.
Xavi Hernández’s team defended their leadership with suffering, but also with patience. He suffered, especially at the beginning, when he was down on the scoreboard very soon, but he knew how to calm down when his scorer went to the locker room early for two avoidable actions, especially the second.
After the break, he managed the time of the game well against a rival he wanted to be ambitious for and who finally ran out of prize in the final minutes thanks to a goal from Raphinha, who dressed as Lewandowski to scratch another three points in extremis so valuable like those of Mestalla. It was a good farewell for Gerard Piqué, substitute, but protagonist for his expulsion during the break due to his protests to Gil Manzano.
Osasuna was brave from the opening whistle and soon found the prize with the goal between David García, who headed, and Unai García, who touched it before entering, at the exit of a corner kick, and which was protested by the visiting players for considering that there was a previous fault.
Only five minutes had passed and Barça already had to row against the tide again at home. Before the goal, he had already suffered from the local pressure and a poor control by Busquets had caused a double chance for Rubén García and Jon Moncayola, a clear warning of an uncomfortable night that, on the other hand, was not so.
The Catalan team couldn’t take much of the pulse of the clash, well controlled by their rival, who was the most threatening with another shot, very low, from ‘Chimy’ Ávila, chosen as the offensive reference by Jagoba Arrasate. The ‘rojillos’ Marc-André ter Stegen did not worry much more, although they did not go through excessive trouble either.
And an unusual mistake by Lewandowski helped in this. The Polish striker, who had had the best chance for Xavi Hernández’s men with a shot inside the area well repelled by Aitor Fernández, did not measure well in a jump with David García when he already had a yellow card for a similar action and his elbow hit the David Garcia’s face. Gil Manzano showed him the second warning despite his surprise and the leader remained in inferiority for more than an hour.
After the break, a time marked by red for Piqué, FC Barcelona took control definitively, supported by Pedri’s baton. Precisely, the Canarian midfielder soon equalized the score after picking up a lost ball in the area and after the fight with Ferran Torres.
The goal threatened to wake up Osasuna, who had to decide whether to take a step forward and leave more space for his rival. Arrasate moved quickly and put in a second striker, Kike García, in exchange for removing one of his midfielders, a Lucas Torró who had been reprimanded and had flirted with the expulsion.
The movement encouraged the locals more, who somewhat balanced the balance and managed to play the game more in the leader’s field. Ter Stegen put a hand to a powerful shot from the ‘Chimy’ and Dembélé warned about the existing spaces, in what were the best chances of that stretch more of a ‘red’ color.
Xavi Hernández reacted for the final minutes and was offensive with the entry of Gavi for Christensen, lowering De Jong to the defense, and Ansu Fati and Raphinha for Ferran Torres and Dembélé. The Brazilian took advantage of his minutes and drew a perfect uncheck to head in a parabolic way against a slightly advanced Aitor Fernández and after a great shipment from De Jong. Osasuna ran out of time, although Moncayola still had a good option to have signed the tie.
–RESULT: CA OSASUNA, 1 – FC BARCELONA, 2 (1-0, at halftime).
CA OSASUNA: Aitor Fernández; Vidal, Unai García, David García, Cruz; Nougat (Kike García, min.59), Moncayola; Rubén García (Rubén Peña, min.75), Oroz (Brasanac, min.74), Moi Gómez (Barja, min.83); and Ávila (Budimir, min.83).
FC BARCELONA: Ter Stegen; Balde, Christensen (Gavi, min.74), Marcos Alonso, Jordi Alba; Pedri (Riyadh, min.89), Busquets, De Jong; Dembele (Raphinha, 78th minute), Lewandowski and Ferran Torres (Ansu Fati, 78th minute).
1-0, minute 6. David Garcia.
1-1, minute 48. Pedri.
1-2, minute 85. Leaf.
–REFEREE: Gil Manzano (C. Extremeño). He admonished Juan Cruz (min.45 3), David García (min.46), Torró (min.54), Moncayola (min.61), for Osasuna, and Jordi Alba (min.37), Xavi Hernández (min. 57), Balde (min. 66), for FC Barcelona. He sent off Lewandowski for a double booking in the 31st minute and Gerard Piqué during the break.
–STADIUM: El Sadar.
