Osasuna 4-2 FC Barcelona: First Liga defeat

A win in Pamplona in Saturday’s Liga fixture would have matched FC Barcelona’s best ever start to a league season. But after an immaculate series of seven straight wins, Barça have crashed to a 4-2 at the hands of Osasuna.

 

Two goals down after a disappointing first half, a vast improvement after the break suggested a blaugrana comeback might be on the cards. But it wasn’t to be. The home side managed to find two more goals and for the first time in La Liga 2023/24, Barça have tasted the bitter pill of defeat. 

Disappointing start

It was a brave XI that Hansi Flick chose to open with, but with eight players injured and two games to play every week, even Raphinha and Lamine Yamal need to be rested at some point.

Youngsters Sergi Domínguez, Pau Víctor and Gerard Martín all started and everything was going to plan until Ante Budimir beat Pau Cubarsí to the ball to head Osasuna into the lead on 18 minutes.

The man who provided the cross for the Croatian to score, Bryan Zaragoza, would be getting his own name on the scoresheet just ten minutes later. The Bayern Munich loanee broke free and skillfully tricked his way past Iñaki Peña to make it 2-0.

Back in contention

After the poorest 45 minutes of the season so far, Barça needed to react in the second half and they did so quickly with more than a little help from Sergio Herrera. The Osasuna keeper had just made a brilliant save against Robert Lewandowski but then blundered his release. Pau Víctor was gifted a chance on goal, and although Herrera should have been able to deal with it, he made a mess of that too and Barça were back to within one goal.

The goal hit Osasuna’s confidence as much as it boosted Barça’s. With Lamine Yamal and Raphinha now on, it looked a very different game, but just when another spectacular Barça comeback was very much on the cards, Osasuna re-established their two-goal cushion from the penalty spot.

Osasuna twice more

There was little arguing when Domínguez brought Budimir down when the latter was clean through on goal, and although Iñaki Peña went the right way, the Croatian himself claimed his second goal of the night.

Again, a goal switched the dynamic of the match and this time not in Barça’s favour. Following a tremendous last-ditch tackle from Eric García and a top class save from Peña to deny Raúl, Osasuna rammed the final nail in this game’s coffin with an absolute scorcher from long range by Abel Bretones. 4-1.

Still battling

With just five minutes left on the clock, there was pretty much no hope of a comeback now. Lamine Yamal struck an absolute beauty in the 89th minute but the celebrations were muted. Lovely goal, but it had come too late.

It is to Barça’s utmost credit that although it was a lost cause, they never stopped fighting. A flood of late chances followed Lamine’s goal, one of which Ferran Torres steered onto the post, but the game was already lost.

Now it’s time to pick up the pieces after this defeat and turn attention to the Champions League and Young Boys on Tuesday at 9pm CEST.