A great Osasuna challenges the last Barça of Piqué
The central ‘culé’, whether he plays or not, will hang up his boots in the dangerous Sadar with his team premiering solo leadership
BARCELONA, Nov. 7 (EUROPA PRESS) –
CA Osasuna receives FC Barcelona this Tuesday at the El Sadar Stadium (9:30 pm), on matchday 14 of LaLiga Santander and before the ‘break’ for the World Cup, in a duel between two teams from the upper zone marked, once again, by a Gerard Piqué who plays or not will hang up his boots after the clash, and with Xavi Hernández’s team debuting the lead alone.
In the last league duel before the long-awaited World Cup, Osasuna receives Barça with options to sleep in the European zone, but the Blaugrana want to continue staying in the leader’s ‘suite’ that Real Madrid’s slump has ‘given’ them , which they now lead by two points.
An even duel, perhaps unexpected at this point, but Osasuna is having great games, with very good feelings with and without the ball and, most importantly, with the results going hand in hand. The ‘rojillos’ with 23 points, just one shot behind Real Betis and Atlético de Madrid –fourth and third in the table–.
Only Getafe and Valencia have stormed El Sadar this season. Complicated fiefdom due to size and proximity of the fans, Barça knows that it has one last trap to deactivate if it wants to go on ‘holidays’ – those who are not World Cup players – with high spirits and ego. It will not be enough to go out, run around and move the ball in search of the goal.
Against Osasuna, Jagoba Arrasate’s team that is grown, that flies through the clouds in Pamplona, ??Barça will have to give everything. In addition, the Navarrese have just won at home against Celta de Vigo (1-2) with a brace from ‘Chimy’ Ávila who is, now that the injuries respect him, the locals’ great offensive threat.
Arrasate’s idea is to take Barça to the limit in all facets. Be incisive and bite up and after loss, be ordered behind to unsettle the rival, and be accurate up. Something similar may always be said, but this Osasuna is literally capable of doing all this well.
Of course, the Basque coach has confirmed the loss due to an injury to Ez Abde, who will not be able to play against the team to which he belongs and who did not put a fear clause on him. A pity not being able to see the Blaugrana youth squad, who came to play with the first team, against his former teammates.
Xavi Hernández has more casualties, who cannot recover Jules Koundé or the rest of the injured -Franck Kessié, Ronald Araújo, Memphis Depay or Sergi Roberto–. The team will be the same as on the last day, against Almería (2-0), in a clear victory although the result was short due to the lack of aim.
Robert Lewandowski, who missed a penalty for the first time since he wore a Blaugrana, was left unmarked. So the Pole, top gunner in this League, will want to get even at El Sadar. The doubt, again, will be to see if Dembélé (who did score) is still in the starting eleven or if Raphinha, who usually plays well as a shock player, regain ownership.
The first act was at the Camp Nou, but the second and definitive one will be in Pamplona. Gerard Piqué will retire completely at El Sadar. He may do it on the grass, due to the loss of Jules Koundé and because Eric Garcia and Andreas Christensen are less well-rounded. But, be that as it may, the ‘3’ will be ‘Sempr3’ forever.
Without a doubt, a week full of emotions for the Bonanova centre-back, who last Thursday dropped the bomb on his social networks. On Saturday, the Camp Nou honored him at the level of what; a club legend. And, in the absence of more acts, this legend will begin as soon as Gil Manzano whistles the end of this Osasuna-Barça.
CA OSASUNA: Sergio Herrera; Vidal, Unai García, David García, Cruz; Nougat, Moncayola, Brasanac; Ávila, Kike García and Moi Gómez.
FC BARCELONA: Ter Stegen; Bellerin, Piqué, Eric Garcia, Jordi Alba; Busquets, Gavi, Pedri; Raphinha, Lewandowski and Ansu Fati.
–REFEREE: Gil Manzano (C. Extremeño).
–STADIUM: El Sadar.
–TIME: 9.30pm/Movistar LaLiga TV.
