Osasuna Stuns Barcelona with 4-2 Victory in La Liga Thriller

In a thrilling La Liga clash, Osasuna upstaged FC Barcelona 4-2 on September 28, 2024. Despite all the possession Barcelona had going into the match, it was Osasuna who turned out to be the more clinical side in front of goal as they took all three points with the form man scoring a brace; along with Bittor Zaragoza and Alejandro Bretones. Pablo Victor and Lamine Yamal replied for Barcelona, but that wasn’t enough for a win.

First Half: Osasuna Takes Command Early
Osasuna Takes Command Early From the onset of the match, Osasuna was out to make a statement by not coming to Barcelona for a dawdle on their territorial ground. Attack with power and directness, Osasuna sought to catch Barcelona off guard on the counterattack as they look to convert the possibilities.

The first goal came as early as the 18th minute by Ante Budimir. Perfectly timed, Bittor Zaragoza’s pass picked out the attacker and left the Catalan defense for dead. Budimir headed the ball to give Osasuna perfectly deserved lead that he would set the rhythm for the rest of the game with.

Ten minutes later, again, Osasuna scored when Bittor Zaragoza put it in for himself. The goal was the result of some great attacking play from the right wing involving Pablo Ibanez whose pinpoint cross found the forward inside the box, with Zaragoza calmly slotting the ball past the keeper, Marc-André ter Stegen for 2-0.

Barcelona should have tried winning back the game when Osasuna doubled their advantage. They dominated the ball by having more possession, 75%, but struggled against Osasuna’s much compact backline. Lewandowski and Raphinha tried to create something, but attempts blocked or saved.

Second Half: Barcelona tries to fight back
A change of tactics in the second half helped Barcelona, with renewed vigor going out to try and regain some lost ground. Their efforts were rewarded just on the hour mark when Pablo Victor scored the visitors’ equaliser, the youngster striking on the counterafter some Osasuna confusion; a loose ball finished with an executed coolness for 2-1.

This seemed to be exactly what Barcelona required, as the match soon became a test of endurance with greater intensity in the search for an equalizing goal. But the more Osasuna tried to catch up, the more their defense came under scrutiny at the hands of the Osasuna counter-attacks.

Budimir’s Penalty Restores Osasuna’s Two-Goal Lead
The comeback hopes of Barcelona were dealt a major blow in the 72nd minute, when Osasuna were awarded a penalty. A clumsy challenge inside the box from Sergi Dominguez on Rubén García left the referee with no other option but to point to the spot. Ante Budimir stepped up to the penalty and coolly sent ter Stegen the wrong way as he restored Osasuna’s two-goal cushion at 3-1.

This meant Osasuna took the reins, and they were still hassling Barcelona by their mobilized defense. barcelona were not composed at all and frustration began to show through yellow cards and committed fouls.

Bretones Ensures Victory for Osasuna
As the match entered its final stages, Osasuna were expected to give way, but they had other ideas as they pounced on a slack Barcelona side with a third goal in the 85th minute by a substitute, Alejandro Bretones. Osasuna’s fourth goal came when Bretones rounded off a pass from the other substitute, Jon Herrando, and clipped in a low shot past ter Stegen, this time into the netting, and it sealed the victory for Osasuna 4-1.

It was a demonstration of the depth that Osasuna possessed, and the ability to take their chances to the maximum had them believe they could conquer it, and the home crowd erupted in wild celebration as it became clear that Osasuna was on their way to a famous victory.

Late Consolation for Barcelona
A third goal was scored in the 89th minute, this time from Lamine Yamal, pulling one goal back for Barcelona. The young winger had been lively since coming on and finished off a quick Barcelona attack by converting a pass from Ferran Torres. At this point, however, the score at 4-2 proved too little, too late for Barcelona.

In the last few minutes of the game, Osasuna remained resilient in defense to preserve the lead and win on home ground 4-2. Osasuna sent a strong statement by showing that they could compete with the best of the La Liga ensemble.

Tactical Analysis: How Osasuna’s Brilliant Counter-Attack Endured
Osasuna’s win was constructed on a very solid defensive platform and they excelled at counter-attacking. They held the possession for as little as 25% of the match against Barcelona, yet were threatening in front of goal with five of the 11 attempts from them hitting the back of the net. Barcelona could hardly make capital out of their 75% possession, getting frustrated by Osasuna’s well-organized defense most of the time.

Osasuna were a little canny in playing long balls and a quick, fast tempo which could see them clear their own penalty box quickly, and their gamble as far as attack is concerned was well rewarded. Ante Budimir was clinical twice in his opportunities, whereas Bittor Zaragoza and Alejandro Bretones made crucial strikes for the home side.

Barcelona Can’t Catch a Break
This was a massive setback for Barcelona in their La Liga campaign as the team dominated possession and tried to control the game but were caught up by a more direct and clinical Osasuna side. Lapses in defense, particularly on counterattacks, cost them very dearly, and they could not recover from being 2-0 down in the first half.

It would be difficult to argue with Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha being ineffective while going into the game without key players in defense. It was only to be expected that Pablo Victor and Lamine Yamal might come up with a little glimmer of hope by scoring some goals, as it was self-evident at that point that they did not really have the potential to fight for the title anytime soon.

Conclusion: Osasuna Win Memory
Osasuna’s 4-2 win over Barcelona will likely be among the best results in the La Liga season, and clinical finishing and endurance at the back did a great job in defeating one of Spain’s biggest teams. For Barcelona, defeat will mean questions on weak defense and the ability to break well-organized teams.

That is some much-needed confidence Osasuna took away from this game, as they try to climb the La Liga table, while Barcelona had better try and get out of here and improve things that saw them lost in this particular match.

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