Barcelona Star Shines Bright as Blaugrana Crush Osasuna to Keep Victory Streak Alive

Barcelona defeated a determined and defensively organized Osasuna 2–0 at Camp Nou, securing their seventh straight La Liga victory in the process.

The Catalan club, who delivered an impressive and composed Champions League performance during the week, encountered an extreme defensive setup for most of the match, with the away team consistently positioning 10 players within their own penalty box to disrupt Hansi Flick's squad.

After 70 minutes of play, it appeared that Osasuna's tactical approach was succeeding. However, Raphinha, as he has done repeatedly during the 2024–25 season, had different plans and netted a crucial double just before his 29th birthday, extending Barcelona's lead to seven points over Real Madrid, who have their fixture on Sunday, at the summit of La Liga.

Barcelona Player Ratings vs. Osasuna (4-2-3-1)

*Ratings courtesy of FotMob*

GK: Joan García—8.0: Enjoyed a peaceful evening for García who scarcely needed to exert himself. Confidently and efficiently dealt with the two attempts on goal he encountered.

RB: Jules Koundé—7.8: Appeared somewhat careless during his forward ventures until he contributed significantly to Barça's second goal. A relatively quiet night for the midweek standout, though he remained defensively reliable.

CB: Pau Cubarsí—7.4: Managed his responsibilities competently when required, successfully executing the offside trap on several important moments.

CB: Gerard Martín—7.9: Employed his pace and strength to neutralize the quick Víctor Muñoz, whom he practically shadowed throughout the entire match. Another impressive display from one of Barça's unexpected stars this season.

LB: Alejandro Balde—7.8: Relentlessly patrolled the left side, making crucial defensive plays while also providing substantial support in attack, particularly when combining with Rashford.

DM: Eric García—7.5: Highly effective in the middle of the park, winning challenges and tidying up loose situations before distributing smart passes to enable Barcelona's creative talents to take charge.

CM: Pedri—8.5: With Andrés Iniesta watching from the stands, Pedri delivered an excellent tribute to the former midfield genius. Remains the catalyst that drives Barcelona's offensive play and secured an assist for his third straight league match.

AM: Raphinha—9.0: Showed less precision for a consecutive game but still delivered when Barcelona required him most. Decided the match with two strikes and will gain tremendous confidence from influencing the result despite being below his peak form.

RW: Lamine Yamal—8.2: Frequently faced double or triple coverage from Osasuna's defenders, yet managed to glide past them occasionally with some breathtaking dribbling displays. Remains an absolute threat but will feel frustrated he couldn't find the back of the net.

ST: Ferran Torres—6.5: Served as Barcelona's most threatening forward in the opening period but vanished entirely following the interval.

LW: Marcus Rashford—7.6: Enjoyed an encouraging beginning with several surges down the left flank but his impact notably decreased as the match progressed. Showed renewed energy in the second period for an overall solid performance.

Unused substitutes: Marc-André ter Stegen (GK), Diego Kochen (GK), Jofre Torrents, Dro Fernandez, Marc Bernal, Tommy Marques, Robert Lewandowski.

Osasuna (5-3-2)

Starting lineup: Sergio Herrera; Íñigo Arguibide, Flavien Boyomo, Jorge Herrando, Alejandro Catena, Abel Bretones; Jon Moncayola, Lucas Torró, Aimar Oroz; Víctor Muñoz, Ante Budimir.

Substitutions made: Iker Muñoz, Rubén García, Raúl García, Sheraldo Becker, Valentin Rosier.

Player of the Match: Raphinha

Barcelona 2–0 Osasuna—How Events Developed at Camp Nou

Barcelona sought to achieve their fifth consecutive victory since returning to Camp Nou, with Flick's team demonstrating notable progress following a challenging season start. Yamal collected his La Liga Player of the Month award for November and began the match eager to make his mark.

However, the home team struggled to break down Osasuna's compact defense and even conceded dangerous opportunities to their opponents. Ferran Torres believed he had opened the scoring just after the 20-minute mark, but his header was disallowed as VAR revealed Raphinha was in an offside position during the buildup.

Goal-scoring chances became scarce following the cancelled goal, with several Barça players choosing to attempt shots from long range in an obvious display of frustration. A Torres overhead kick came closest to giving Barcelona the advantage, but his effort sailed just past the post and the match remained goalless at halftime.

The away team created the best opportunity to open the scoring after the restart. Víctor Muñoz escaped after a dangerous loss of possession, but luckily for Barcelona, Alejandro Balde managed to disrupt Muñoz, leading to a weak attempt that missed Joan García's target.

Barcelona took complete command of the proceedings afterward and intensified their pressure on Osasuna's backline. As tensions mounted, Pedri located a surging Raphinha through the center and the Brazilian wasted no time in unleashing a strike from just beyond the penalty box that caught a minor deflection but possessed sufficient force to leave Sergio Herrera helpless.

Osasuna had to abandon their defensive approach once they fell behind, providing Barcelona's forwards with additional room to maneuver. A well-executed sequence saw Jules Koundé reach the goal line and deliver a cross, with the ball deflecting off an Osasuna defender to Raphinha—he finished simply to seal the triumph.

Barcelona vs. Osasuna Half-Time Statistics

Barcelona vs. Osasuna Final Statistics