Osasuna 0 Barcelona 3: Messi magic ends frustrating run of draws
leaders Real Madrid after securing a 3-0 victory
away to bottom club Osasuna on Saturday.
Second-half goals from Luis Suarez and Lionel
Messi were enough to break the resistance of the
home side at El Sadar and end a run of four
draws in a row in domestic competition for Luis
Enrique's side.
Barca had only lost one of their last 10 meetings
with Osasuna in the top flight but their lack of
ruthlessness in front of goal threatened to see
them concede more ground in the title race, as
Suarez and Messi both spurned good chances in
a first half in which the visitors dominated.
Oriol Riera and Sergio Leon came close to
breaking the deadlock for Joaquin Caparros's
side, who offered stern resistance despite having
claimed only seven points all season, but Messi
combined brilliantly with Jordi Alba to allow
Suarez to score against the 22nd different team
in LaLiga just before the hour mark.
Alba was again the provider as Messi turned in
the full-back's cross, and a superb solo run and
finish from the 29-year-old - his 17th goal in
nine league games against Osasuna - capped
the victory in injury time.
The win takes the champions back to within
three points of leaders Madrid, who play
Deportivo La Coruna later on Saturday, while
Osasuna could now find themselves eight points
adrift of safety by the end of matchday 14.
Suarez should have put Barcelona ahead in the
eighth minute as he ran onto Messi's delightful
clipped pass over the defence, but he placed a
shot beyond Nauzet's right-hand post.
The Uruguayan came closer four minutes later,
firing a shot onto the base of the opposite
upright after he held off Miguel Flano 12 yards
out, before Samuel Umtiti headed over the
crossbar from an Andres Iniesta free-kick.
Barca's pressure was relentless but Messi
became the latest to fluff his lines, with Nauzet
sticking out a foot to deny the Argentine after
Suarez set him free in the middle of the box, and
the goalkeeper reacted brilliantly to tip Messi's
chipped effort over the crossbar 10 minutes
later.
Osasuna had barely managed a touch in Barca's
half but they did fashion a glorious chance to
take the lead before the break - Riera failing to
connect with Miguel de las Cuevas' low cut-back
as he slid in at the far post.
Sergio Leon had left Gerard Pique for dead with a
sublime piece of skill in the first half, and he was
inches away from humbling Marc-Andre ter
Stegen early in the second when his brilliant chip
from 30 yards came back off the crossbar with
the Barca goalkeeper beaten.
Osasuna had shipped 29 goals in their opening
13 matches but were dealing comfortably with
Barca's pressure - until a moment of brilliance
from Messi carved them apart.
The Argentine feinted to shoot from 20 yards
before sliding a superb pass through the defence
and into the feet of Alba on the left of the area,
and his square ball to Suarez - who was just
onside - gave the striker a simple tap-in from six
yards.
Osasuna looked deflated by the goal and any
hopes of a result were dashed by Messi 18
minutes from time. Substitute Denis Suarez sent
the untracked Alba clear down the left, and his
low cross was steered into the far corner by the
Barca number 10 from close range.
Ter Stegen denied Sergio Leon with a good stop
but Barca's victory was given some gloss in
injury time, as Messi danced his way into the
penalty area, dummied a shot to put Nauzet on
the turf before lofting the ball beyond the
goalkeeper and three covering defenders and into
the corner of the net.
Comments