After a brilliant start to the season with seven consecutive victories, Barcelona hit a major roadblock in Pamplona, suffering their first La Liga defeat of the season. Osasuna, buoyed by their home crowd and an energetic performance, outplayed the Catalans with a convincing 4-2 win, showcasing great intensity and capitalizing on the uncertainties of Flick's young squad. This result opens the door for Madrid's teams, who face off today in a derby at the Metropolitano, to close in on the top spot: Real Madrid now trails by just 4 points, while Atletico is 6 points behind.
In addition to a lengthy list of absentees, including Ter Stegen, Araujo, Christensen, Marc Bernal, Gavi, Fermin, De Jong, and Dani Olmo, Flick opted for extensive rotation, initially benching key players like Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, Balde, and Iñigo Martinez. This decision saw youngsters like Sergi Dominguez, Gerard Martin, Pablo Torre, and Pau Victor take the field.
Osasuna quickly took control of the match, going ahead in the 18th minute with a header from Budimir, well-served by a cross from Bryan Zaragoza, on loan from Bayern Munich. The second goal came in the 28th minute, again through Zaragoza, who finished off a fast counter-attack that started with a controversial challenge on Pau Victor.
Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain, and Bayern Munich kick off a weekend of top-tier football
21 Nov - 23:06 •
1' min
Barcelona looked lackluster and struggled to create chances, with their first shot on target arriving only in the 44th minute. In the second half, Osasuna’s goalkeeper Sergio Herrera played a crucial role, making two key saves against Lewandowski and Ferran Torres, though he also committed a costly error that allowed Pau Victor to score his first La Liga goal.
Flick attempted to shift the momentum by bringing on Lamine Yamal and Raphinha in the 59th minute, but the move failed to turn the tide. In the 69th minute, Osasuna extended their lead with a penalty converted by Budimir after a foul by Sergi Dominguez. In the final minutes, Bretones added a fourth goal, capitalizing on a mistake by Lamine Yamal, who then reduced the deficit to 4-2. In stoppage time, Ferran Torres hit the post for the umpteenth time this season, but by then, a comeback was out of reach.
