Barcelona edge Osasuna to open seven-point La Liga gap against Real Madrid
Barcelona extended their winning run in La Liga to seven matches with a hard-fought victory over a stubborn Osasuna side at the Spotify Camp Nou, strengthening their grip on the title race.
The result pushes Hansi Flick’s side seven points clear at the top, increasing pressure on closest rivals Real Madrid.
Osasuna frustrate early dominance
Osasuna adopted a compact approach, deploying five defenders and three midfielders deep to limit Barcelona’s space.
The strategy worked for long spells, restricting clear chances and forcing the hosts into speculative efforts from distance.
Barcelona thought they had broken the deadlock midway through the first half when Ferran Torres headed in Marcus Rashford’s cross, but VAR intervened to rule out the goal for an offside against Raphinha in the build-up.
Raphinha breaks resistance
With patience wearing thin, Barcelona finally found the breakthrough in the second half.
Raphinha collected a measured pass from Pedri and drove a low finish across Sergio Herrera into the far corner.
The Brazilian, who had endured a quiet evening, grew in confidence and remained central to Barcelona’s attacking threat.
Late strike seals points
Raphinha wrapped up the win four minutes from time, reacting quickest after Jules Kounde’s cross deflected into his path to apply a simple finish from close range.
Title advantage strengthened
It was not a fluent performance, but it was an efficient one. Barcelona did enough to secure maximum points and extend their advantage over Real Madrid, who face Alaves next.
