Raphinha scores two goals as Barcelona defeat Osasuna in La Liga | Football News

Raphinha’s brace helped Barcelona overcome Osasuna and open up a seven-point lead on Actual Madrid at high of the ladder.

Raphinha struck twice late within the second half as Barcelona secured a hard-fought 2-0 victory over a resolute Osasuna aspect on Saturday, extending their lead on the high of the La Liga standings to seven factors.

Hansi Flick’s males now sit on 43 factors, comfortably away from second-placed Actual Madrid, who’ve a sport in hand and are set to play at Alaves on Sunday.

Barcelona dominated from the outset, having fun with an eye-watering 80 p.c possession and firing 24 photographs in contrast with simply three from Osasuna.

Nonetheless, the guests’ disciplined five-man defensive position, mixed with a number of excellent saves from goalkeeper Sergio Herrera, annoyed the house aspect for a lot of the match.

The Catalans thought that they had damaged the impasse within the twenty third minute when Ferran Torres nodded dwelling a looping header from Marcus Rashford’s cross after a brief nook routine.

Nonetheless, a prolonged VAR assessment dominated the purpose out for a marginal offside within the build-up.

One of the best probability of the primary half got here within the fortieth minute, as teenager Lamine Yamal darted down the appropriate flank earlier than delivering a pinpoint cross to Torres. The striker unleashed an audacious overhead kick however despatched the ball vast of the far put up.

Osasuna’s resilient again 5 held agency as Barcelona swarmed ahead within the second half, with Rashford testing Herrera’s acrobatics from a free kick early after the interval.

Yamal remained a relentless menace down the appropriate, tirelessly driving at defenders, however the guests absorbed wave after wave of strain.

Barcelona lastly broke down Osasuna’s deep defensive block within the seventieth minute when Pedri’s incisive move lower by means of the guests’ defence, discovering Raphinha in his stride.

The Brazilian ahead took a managed contact earlier than unleashing a thunderous strike from the sting of the realm, the ball arrowing contained in the left put up.

Raphinha sealed the win within the 86th minute. A deflected cross from Jules Kounde on the appropriate discovered the Brazilian unmarked on the far put up, and he calmly volleyed the ball into an empty web, giving the scoreline a extra comfy look.

“It’s very commendable [what Osasuna did] as a result of they had been very compact and we struggled to interrupt them down,” Barca defender Gerard Martin advised Movistar Plus. “However with persistence and lots of ball possession, we all know that targets all the time come, and we lastly discovered them.”