Osasuna Falls 2-1 in a Hard-Fought Battle Against FC Barcelona

Los Rojillos fought until the last minute of a highly contested match

Club Atlético Osasuna (11-9-14, 42 points) was unable to rally back from a two-goal deficit against FC Barcelona (29-1-4, 88 points) at El Sadar on Saturday night. Forward Raúl García scored Los Rojillos' only goal in the 89th minute, but it was not enough to answer back to the goals of forwards Robert Lewandowski and Ferrán Torres.

In an evenly matched first half, Osasuna had the better chances to take the lead. Barcelona initially sought to control possession and created two opportunities through shots by Lewandowski and forward Dani Olmo — the latter from a direct free kick — but both efforts went wide. Osasuna, however, did not sit back and threatened the visitors. The hosts came close when forward Raúl Moro won the ball high up the field, beat his marker inside the box and delivered a low cross to forward Ante Budimir, whose shot was blocked by defender Gerard Martín. After that warning, possession was shared without clear chances until the 38th minute, when Budimir struck the post following a swift transition. Just a minute later, the Croatian forward tried again from distance, forcing a save from goalkeeper Joan García, who pushed the ball out for a corner.

After the break, Barcelona enjoyed more possession and created a good chance when Olmo’s effort was cleared by defender Alejandro Catena. Despite the visitors’ control of the ball, Alessio Lisci’s side remained solid in defense and looked dangerous on the counterattack. Midfielder Rubén García had a notable double chance: first, his long-range effort was stopped by García, and on the rebound Moro delivered a precise cross to the far post, but García’s follow-up attempt went wide. Late in the match, Barcelona scored twice through Lewandowski and Ferran Torres, but Osasuna kept pushing and pulled one back through Raúl, who finished a cross from defender Abel Bretones. Roared on by their fans at El Sadar, Osasuna pressed hard in stoppage time and pinned Barcelona back, but the visitors held on to the result.

Osasuna will now face Levante at Estadio Ciutat de València in Week 35 of LaLiga EA Sports on Friday, May 8. Kickoff is set for 9 p.m. local time (8 p.m. BST, 3 p.m. ET).