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1 month ago
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On the lawn of the El Sadar stadium in Osasuna, FC Barcelona was aiming for the big eight in La Liga, after winning the first seven matches of this 2024-2025 La Liga financial year. For the occasion, Hansi Flick decided to spin at kick-off. Iñaki Pena, Jules Koundé, Pau Cubarsí, Pedri and Robert Lewandowski started the match among the starters, accompanied by the usual substitutes Éric Garcia, Ferran Torres, Pablo Torre and Pau Victor, as well as the youngsters Gerard Martin (22 years old) and Sergi Dominguez (19 years old). Alejandro Baldé, Raphinha and Lamine Yamal were on the bench. Opposite, Vicente Moreno could count on Bryan Zaragoza or Ante Budimir to annoy the Catalan defense.
Facing the seventh in La Liga, Barça had possession of the ball in the first minutes, but came up against a good Osasuna team who had chosen to go on the counterattack. It was she who got the first opportunity of the match with this strike from Areso (14th). A few minutes later, Bryan Zaragoza struck on his left side against Koundé and delivered a perfect cross to Budimir’s head for the opener (18th). Well served by Ibanez in depth, the player on loan from Bayern then doubled the lead by playing Pena before finishing (28th). Ineffective, Barça did not produce the slightest dangerous action during the first 45 minutes.
Osasuna creates sensation
After returning from the locker room, Flick left with the same players and made no changes. Transparent during the first period, Robert Lewandowski tried to be dangerous from a set piece, but his free kick missed Sergio Herrera’s cage (52nd). The Pole then came up against the Osasuna goalkeeper, after very good work from Koundé on the right (53rd). Finally, Barça found the fault. On a poor clearance from Herrera, Gérard Martin served Pau Victor, whose first-intention shot deceived the 31-year-old goalkeeper.
Despite this reduction in the gap, Osasuna continued to push and even came close to a third goal, but Ante Budimir’s shot went wide (64th). The goal of the break finally came from a penalty from the Croatian, cut down in the area by Dominguez (71st). THE Rojillos could have even made the bill tougher if Ruben Pena had made a better choice regarding his situation (79th), and if Raùl had not come up against Pena (84th). It was finally Abel Bretones with a long shot which completed the great evening for Vicente Moreno’s team (86th). The beautiful goal from Lamine Yamal (90th), which came into play, had no impact on the result. With this victory (4-2), Osasuna is the first club to knock down Flick’s Barça this season in La Liga and climbs to sixth place in the standings. FC Barcelona can, for its part, see Real return to a point in the event of a victory against Atlético de Madrid this Sunday.
Written by:
Manu Tournoux is a passionate and knowledgeable football enthusiast with a special focus on French football. Born and raised in France, Manu discovered his love for the beautiful game at a young age and developed a deep understanding of the ins and outs of "Le Championnat." His French roots and extensive experience in football journalism have made him an invaluable asset to the French Football Weekly team.
 
 As an author for the website, Manu's expertise includes not only in-depth analysis of Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 matches but also insightful profiles of up-and-coming talents, detailed transfer news, and engaging coverage of the French national team. His captivating writing style and undeniable passion for the game have earned him a loyal following among our readers.
 
 When he's not crafting engaging articles for French Football Weekly, Manu enjoys attending live matches whenever he can, exploring football culture in various French cities, and engaging in spirited debates with fellow fans. Feel free to follow Manu on Twitter and interact with him as he shares his expert opinions, insights, and love for French football.
